Throughout Time Year 7 The End of Innocence
by SashaBT245
Summary: COMPLETE As her seventh and final year at Hogwarts approaches, Noelle finally feels relieved. Soon she will be an adult, free to make her own choices and decisions. Little does she know that the safe world she has become familiar with is about to come crashing dow
1. Chapter 1 Mail Call

**Chapter 1**

_Seventeen…_Noelle thought to herself. She ran a hand through her hair, feeling the snarls at the end. Pulling gently on the reins of the beautiful charcoal stallion, she brought him to halt. She sat on top of her horse, gazing over the beautiful English countryside that adjoined James' family estate. Leaning forward, she scratched Orage between the ears. She had named the stallion because of his unpredictable personality. Orage meant 'storm' in French, and that was exactly how the animal behaved.

When Sirius had given her the horse as a birthday present a week ago, they had brainstormed for hours about a name. Deciding to take a stroll to the stables to visit him for inspiration, they had heard loud crashes coming from inside. Noelle rushed inside, only to find her new horse rearing up on his hind legs, and banging his front legs against the door of his stall. She had yelled at him,

"Calme! Il semble comme le tonnerre!"

Sirius had laughed, and said,

"You should name him Orage…you know, like a storm…he's making more noise than one!"

Noelle had immediately latched onto the name, and he had been Orage ever since. He even resembled gathering storm clouds in the way his shimmery coat changed from grey to inky black.

She swatted at a fly that had landed on his neck and he bobbed his head in thanks.

"Qu'est-ce que tu dit, mon ami? Le temps pour rentrer?" (What do you say, my friend? Time to go home?)

He stamped a foot onto the hard ground and Noelle laughed.

"I will take that as a yes."

Nudging him sharply behind the girth, she urged him into a fast canter. The wind whipped her dark blonde hair back from her face and tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. The strong animal lengthened his strides and Noelle leaned slightly forward. Rather than stopping to open the four-foot gate, she directed him for it. Gathering his muscles, Orage pushed himself and his rider over the obstacle easily. After they had landed, Noelle began to rein him in slightly. She sat deeply in the saddle and enjoyed the rest of the ride back to the Potter estate.

Waiting at the door to the stables, Sirius squinted his grey eyes. If he wasn't mistaken, Noelle had justpersuaded that screwy horse of hers over a four-foot fence. He shook his head. She really was incorrigible.

Noelle saw Sirius leaning casually against the fence. Her breath caught in her throat as she drank him in. It never ceased to amaze her that he had such an unbreakable hold over her. Her face lit up with a grin as she pulled up alongside him.

"Have a good ride, chérie?" he asked her as he reached up to help her down.

She jumped down with her hand in his.

"Of course. I think we have become used to one another." She grinned at the black horse, and stroked his neck. His coat was gleaming with sweat and she grimaced. "I need to walk him very well before I put him away. We had a long ride."

Sirius nodded. "Want some company?" he asked.

"Only if it is you." She said with a wink.

He laughed.

"Who else would it be?" he joked.

As they slowly circled the paddock, Sirius glanced down at Noelle. She was walking with her head down, a sad sort of smile on her lips.

"Anything wrong?" he asked her.

She lifted her head. "No. Well, yes. I am just a little upset that I did not even get a note from my parents on my birthday."

Tears threatened to spill over her lids, but she blinked them back. Sirius stopped her.

"It's okay to cry, Noelle. It's only natural to be upset about something like that."

She shook her head. "Non. They are no longer my family. The only family I have is Lily, and James and his family. And you, of course." She said softly, looking up at him through her lashes.

"We're the only family you really need." He said with a caring smile on his face.

He placed both hands on her shoulders. "Noelle, I told you last year. I am going to take care of you for the rest of your life, and I mean it. I can give you a good life, and no one will ever love you the way that I do."

His voice was heavy with emotion, and she felt her heart swell with happiness. She flung her arms around his neck, and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, Sirius."

Beside them, Orage grew impatient. He snorted and stomped his hoof on the hard ground. She looked at him.

"What do you want?" she said with false sternness in her voice.

He tossed his magnificent head back and tugged on the reins. Noelle laughed and Sirius fell in love with her all over again. Her laugh truly was magical.

"Alors, let's get you settled." She led him to the side of the barn and removed his tack. Charming the hose, she sprayed water over the animal. Steam rose from his back, and he neighed in satisfaction.

Sirius perched himself on the fence to watch. Noelle was still very small, but she looked so much healthier than she had when they had first met. Her hair had gotten even longer, and her cheeks glowed with life. Her navy eyes hardly ever held dark shadows anymore.

As Noelle continued to bathe her horse, she kept sneaking glances over at Sirius. They had been at James' for almost a month, and the time was coming when Sirius would have to return to his house. She knew he was dreading it, but he refused to talk about it. She had offered again to go with him, but he had not been veryreceptive to it. He never wanted to ask for help or support in anything, and sometimes it frustrated her beyond belief. She loved him, and she knew that he loved her, so why wouldn't he let her help him? She must have had an angry look on her face, because Sirius called out to her.

"Wow, Noelle. You look furious! What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Nothing." She replied.

"Liar."

She turned around and directed the charmed hose to spray him in the face. Yelping when the cold water doused his skin, he scrambled off of the fence and growled at her. She was doubled over with laughter at the sight of a drenched Sirius.

"Oh, you are in so much trouble, Frenchie." He said.

Noelle raised a perfect eyebrow.

"Did you just call me 'Frenchie'?" she asked incredulously.

"Sure did."

She mumbled another incantation and the water coming from the hose doubled in volume and the temperature dropped even more. Sirius shrieked and dodged the icy stream. Using her wand as a pointer, she made it follow him around the paddock. Finally, he had had enough. Whipping his wand out, he yelled a charm.

"_Finite Incantatum_!"

The hose stopped spraying water and dropped lifelessly to the ground. Sirius reached up and flipped his wet hair out of his eyes. He glared angrily and slowly began to make his way over to her. She bit her lip, trying to stifle the giggles that were threatening to explode from her mouth. She couldn't help it. The sight of Sirius, soaking wet was just far too funny to ignore. His wand was still clenched in his hand. He raised it and pointed it at her. She laughed even harder.

"You would not dare hex me. You wouldn't." she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Try me." He said menacingly.

He muttered something under his breath and she felt herself being lifted off of the ground. Her heart rocketed to her feet and she shrieked in horror. Nothing terrified her worse than heights. Ever since she was a little girl, she had never liked heights. Flying was even very difficult for her to do, but as long as she had something to hold onto, she was usually alright. This, however, this hovering in the air, with nothing to support her, made her nauseous. She could feel her lungs tightening as Sirius waved his wand and she went higher and higher. She couldn't even scream.

Sirius saw how green his girlfriend had become and began to slowly bring her back to earth. Once he had her close, he turned her so her feet would land on the ground. The instant that her body made contact, her legs collapsed and she tumbled into the dirt.

"Oh, shit! Noelle, are you alright?" he asked, quickly coming to her side.

She was fumbling in her riding jacket with shaky hands. Her face was paler than he had ever seen it. She found what she was looking for and quickly uncorked a small vial. Downing the contents rapidly, she placed a hand over her chest. Within minutes, her coloring had returned to normal and her breathing became more regular. She gave him a withering stare.

"Do not ever, I mean EVER, do that to me again." She said sharply.

"I'm sorry, baby, I didn't know you were scared of heights." He apologized.

She shook her head.

"Non, not scared. Terrified. Horrified. Completely petrified of heights."

He stroked her blonde hair.

"I won't do it again. I didn't know."

She smiled weakly at him.

"I know you didn't. It is alright, I am fine."

He pulled her into an embrace. Within seconds, she was trying to push him away.

"You're soaked! Let me go!" she said, struggling against his arms.

"Wonder how that happened?" he said wryly, not letting her go.

She pulled out her wand and began to charm his clothes dry.

"Thank god we're seventeen now, eh?" he said with a smile. "It's so much easier to use magic for stuff like this. I think the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry is a crock anyhow."

"I hardly think that you are one to talk about following rules." She said with a smirk.

"Yeah, but that's why you love me." He said with a wink.

Rolling her eyes, she pushed herself to her feet. She whistled sharply for Orage, who had been watching the two teenagers with a great deal of interest. She grabbed his lead line and began to walk him towards the stables. Once he was in his stall, she latched the gate securely and went outside to join Sirius.

"I need a bath." She said, pulling a face.

"Yeah, you do." Sirius said, pretending to grimace. He dropped an arm around her shoulders and headed up the path to the main house of the Potter estate.

James was stretched out on the patio with a long roll of parchment in his hands. He looked a lot more cheerful than he had in the past week.

"News from Lily, Prongs?" Sirius said with a grin.

"Yeah. She says that she'll be able to come probably next week, because her parents are going to meet Petunia's fiancé's family. Can you believe someone actually wants to marry that twit?"

Sirius' jaw dropped and Noelle elbowed him sharply.

"Be nice, you two." She said, trying her best to sound stern.

"Nice? About her? Forget it. I'd take Pettigrew over Petunia any day." James said with a snort.

Noelle laughed, but Sirius gave James a dirty look.

"Prongs, he really isn't that bad! Just talk to him! All he wants are friends. He doesn't really have too many."

"Gee, you don't say?" James said, trying to sound innocent.

"Oh, shut up." Sirius said, plopping down on a bench across from James.

Noelle took a seat on a marble bench next to where James was seated.

"What else does Lily have to say?" she asked.

"Not a whole lot." James said, quickly rolling up the parchment. "Oh, she did say happy birthday to both of you."

"I wish she could have been here. That was a great night." Noelle said nostalgically.

The Potter's had thrown a huge birthday party for both her and Sirius. Their birthdays were only about a week apart, so it was easier to celebrate them together. Many of their school friends had made the journey to James' house in Manchester to stay for the weekend. There had been tons of food, gallons upon gallons of butterbeer, and a live band that had played well into the night. Thanks to well-placed Silencing charms, there had been no complaints from any of James' Muggle neighbors. Noelle had finally returned to her room in the wee hours of the morning, only to find that her ears were ringing so badly she couldn't even think of sleeping. So she had crept up the stairs to the same room where Sirius had given her the star in their fifth year. To her surprise, he was already there. She had curled up against his warm body and they had kissed until neither one of them could take it any longer. Afterwards, he had pressed his lips to her forehead and whispered in her ear.

"It makes sense that we should make love where we had our first kiss."

Sometimes he could be so thick skulled it made her want to punch something. But then, out of nowhere, he could completely blow her mind with how romantic he was. Since that night, he had been Apparating into her room after James had fallen asleep to spend the night with his arms tight around her. She was sleeping better than she had in years, just because of how safe she felt in his arms.

"Noelle?"

James' voice snapped her out of her reverie.

"Hmm?" she said, turning her head slowly to face him.

"Hungry? Mom's got lunch on the table."

"Non, I need to shower. I'll be down shortly."

She stood and hurried through the vast corridors until she reached her room. It was the same room she had always taken at his house, and it was slowly beginning to feel like home.

She pulled off her sweaty riding clothes and turned on the shower. Steam quickly poured out of the large glass enclosure and enveloped her in milky white clouds. She adored this bathroom, how it was so large and had a bathtub that was perfect for lounging for hours in. Stepping into the shower, she closed her eyes and let the water cascade over her body.

It happened again. She saw herself in a wedding gown, walking down a long aisle on her father's arm. The altar was so far in front of her that she couldn't make out who was standing there. It seemed to take forever to make it even halfway down, but once she was, her vision began to clear. As she tried to make out faces, the hallucination left her as quickly as it had arrived.

She shook herself briefly, and then reached for the faucet to turn the water off. Stepping out of the stall, she wrapped a towel around herself and sat on the bench of her dressing table. She bit her nails nervously. Why would a vision of her wedding leave her so frightened? She wondered. A pecking on the window sill distracted her and she got up to let Etoile inside. Reaching for the scroll in his beak, she glanced at the handwriting on the address label. Recognizing it instantly, she paled and fainted dead away.


	2. Chapter 2 The Charms of Olivier

"What in the blazes is taking her so long?" Sirius grumbled.

"She is a girl, you know. They tend to take a little longer than five minutes in the shower." James said with a smirk.

Sirius shot him a withering glare.

"I'm going to find her." He tossed over his shoulder as he stomped up the stairs.

Upon reaching her bedroom, he knocked on the door.

"Noelle?" he called.

There was no answer.

He knocked louder.

"Noelle?" he asked again.

The door was improperly latched and creaked open a few inches. He spotted her crumpled on the floor by the window. Yelling for James, he pushed the door the rest of the way open and rushed to her side.

Her face was ashen and her hands were clammy. He tapped her on the side of the face gently. Her eyelids flickered and she raised her head groggily.

"What happened?" she asked.

Sirius sat back on his heels, more relieved than he led on.

"You tell me. You've been up here for ages. I knocked on your door, but you didn't answer. I found you right here."

Noelle ran her tongue over her lips. He touched her forehead and felt no fever. James burst in just as he was doing this.

"What is it?" he said, gasping for breath.

"It is nothing. I got a little dizzy, and I fainted." Noelle answered before Sirius could say anything. She got to her feet carefully.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Sirius asked.

Noelle nodded.

"Oui, I am fine." She clenched her hand tighter around the parchment concealed there.

Both boys stood there staring at her.

"Mind if I get dressed now?" she asked pointedly.

"Oh, yeah! Sorry about that." James said, grabbing Sirius by the arm and dragging him out of the room. Sirius kept staring at her, his gaze deeply suspicious. Noelle smiled half-heartedly at him and closed the door behind them with a flick of her wand. Once she was sure that they were gone, she sat back down on the bench of her dressing table. Slowly smoothing the parchment out, she felt her heart skip a beat before she began to read.

_Cher Noelle, _

_I imagine you wanted to throw this letter away when you saw the handwriting. I thank you for not doing so. I hope that this finds you well, and in good health and spirits. Alright, enough of the friendly small talk. _

_I cannot begin to even ask for your forgiveness for the events of last summer. When I discovered what your father had said to you, and the results of the argument, I should have rushed to your side immediately. I should have defied your father and my own, instead of staying where I was. It was not the behavior of a man, and I am truly sorry. Just know that I think of you constantly, and I miss you every day. Please, I'm eager to hear from you. Find it in your heart to forgive me._

_Love, _

_Olivier _

Tears were brimming under Noelle's lids as she read the last words. How could he pretend that not contacting her was the only way he had wronged her? He had told Colin intimate details of their relationship, not to mention facts that had completely humiliated her when they had come to light. She angrily swiped at her tears. Why was she crying? She had enough reasons to hate Olivier forever, so why did his words make her desperate to see him?

She stood up and carefully folded the parchment. She absentmindedly stroked Etoile's head as she gazed out the window. Even though every part of her conscious was telling her to throw the letter, as well as Olivier, out of her life, somehow she couldn't do it. She gave a start when she heard Sirius' voice outside her door.

"Noelle! Sometime soon, alright?" he said sarcastically.

She pulled the door open and scowled.

"It's called patience, Sirius. Maybe you should try it." She said.

"Well, Remus just got here, and he has a surprise for you."

"For me? What is it?" she asked, her face instantly brightening. She reached for a light blue cotton skirt.

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Sure, all it takes is someone having a surprise for you to get you moving."

Noelle stuck her tongue out at him and buttoned her short sleeve white blouse. She found her sandals near her dressing table and stuffed her feet into them. Her hair hung in damp waves to her waist as she pushed past Sirius to scurry down the stairs.

"Brat." He called after her.

She turned on the stairs and smiled up at him.

"You love it." She said with a flirtatious grin.

"I sure do." He smiled.

She continued down the stairs, twisting her hair into a braid as she went. Once she reached the foyer, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Nicolette!" she cried, rushing to her friend's side.

The tall brunette embraced Noelle tightly as they chattered in French. Remus was standing slightly off to Nicolette's side, blushing a deep crimson.

"So this was who you were talking about Moony." James said with a mischievous smile on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Noelle asked.

"Moony asked if it was alright if he brought someone, but he wouldn't say who."

Noelle squeezed Nicolette again.

"I am so glad you are here. Come; let's get your stuff upstairs." She tugged at the girl's hand and pulled her towards the staircase.

Noelle let Nicolette to her bedroom. With a wave of her wand, another large bed appeared across the room from her own. Even with the extra bed, the room was still cavernous. Nicolette watched wistfully as Noelle conjured bed linens and fluffy pillows.

"I can't wait until I turn seventeen." She muttered.

Noelle smiled. "It certainly makes life easier."

After the bed was made, Noelle dropped down onto her own and gestured at her friend. Nicolette sat uneasily on the edge of her bed and twisted her hands in her lap.

"What's wrong?" Noelle asked quietly.

Nicolette raised her brown eyes to her friend's face.

"Aren't you mad at me?"

"For what?" Noelle asked, genuinely surprised.

"For telling Remus that you were sick." Nicolette answered softly.

That hadn't even crossed her mind. She was far too wrapped up in the letter that she had hidden in her desk drawer. _What in the world was she supposed to do?_

"No, not at all. You didn't mean to." Noelle was quick to reassure her.

Finally Nicolette smiled, relieved. Noelle took her hand and squeezed it.

"But, I'm fine now. Better than fine actually. One of my friends here, he is an amazing potions master. He created a potion that prevents my attacks from going too far. So, I'm practically cured." Noelle was glowing as she said this.

"That's incredible! How did he do it?" Nicolette asked.

Noelle shrugged.

"I have no idea. I am horrible at Potions. He just gave me the recipe and showed me how to brew it. All I care about is that it works. And it does."

"Well, he deserves a hug."

Noelle laughed. "You won't find him here. He's not what you would call friendly with these guys. In fact, they hate each other."

Nicolette rolled her eyes.

"Have you heard from your parents?" she asked.

Slowly, Noelle shook her head.

"Nothing. Not even on my birthday."

Nicolette patted her friend on the shoulder and stood.

"They're morons. Don't worry about it."

Noelle gave a feeble smile and turned to the window.

"I'm going to go find Remus. Will you be down shortly?"

Noelle nodded and her friend left the room.

Almost as if she was being pulled, Noelle went to the drawer in her desk where she had stashed Olivier's letter. Removing it from its hiding place, she brought it to her face. She could just barely make out the scent of his cologne on the parchment, and it made her heart lurch. She was happy with Sirius, wasn't she? She didn't need Olivier anymore. She told herself this even as she reached for a quill and parchment to compose her reply.

Her hand flew across the parchment as if it were possessed. She couldn't have stopped it even if she wanted to. As soon as she was finished, she rolled it up and sealed it quickly. Etoile flew to a perch on the back of her desk chair and gazed at her with deep brown eyes.

"Don't look at me like that." Noelle said with a tentative smile on her face. "It wouldn't be polite if I didn't write him back."

Still the owl stared at her.

Noelle sighed heavily and attached the roll of parchment to his scaly leg.

"Just get it to him quickly, d'accord?" she whispered, stroking his feathers.

Etoile spread his wings and soared out the open window. Noelle watched him become a speck in the sky. She clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. She could see Olivier's face behind her eyelids and it made her smile slightly. A shuffling outside her door pushed his image from her mind and she pulled the curtains shut before turning to open the door.

Sirius was pacing impatiently outside in the hallway.

"Noelle, what is wrong with you today? Why do you keep disappearing?" he fired at her.

"Excuse me if I would like some privacy, Sirius." She shot back at him.

He looked taken aback at the tone of her voice, and immediately she felt guilty. By now, she knew that Sirius often spoke before he thought, and he didn't always mean to say things they way they ended up coming out.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just the heat." She covered quickly.

He nodded and reached for her hand. She gave it to him and allowed him to lead her down the stairs.

Outside on the patio, Remus, James and Nicolette were nibbling on the trays of food that the house elves had brought out earlier. Noelle took a seat next to Nicolette and reached for a slice of melon.

Sirius ate ravenously, shoving food into his mouth to the point where the subtle throat clearing of his girlfriend just was not sinking in. Finally, she couldn't stop herself.

"Sirius? Must you eat as if someone was going to take it away from you?" she asked dryly.

He swallowed the mouthful he had and swung his eyes away from the group at the table.

"I have to leave in the morning to go to my house."

Noelle's eyes widened in shock.

"But you're not supposed to leave for another week, at least!"

Sirius clenched the knife in his hand so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

"I know this, Noelle, but my father owled me just a few minutes ago, and he would like me home tomorrow."

"For how long, mate?" James asked.

Sirius stared out over the grounds.

"For two weeks."

"Two weeks? You can't be serious!" Noelle exploded.

Finally Sirius brought his gaze back to the table.

"Actually, I am Sirius. It's on my birth certificate, you can check it if you like." He said lightly, trying to cover up his own feelings of anxiety.

"Stop it. Stop trying to pretend that you are not nervous, because I know you are. But two weeks?" Noelle asked.

He reached for her hand and stroked her fingers.

"It's not that long, Noelle. I'll be back before you know it."

She yanked her hand away.

"It is that long. I've never…" she stopped.

"What?" James finally asked.

"Nothing."

"They've never been apart for that long." Remus said quietly.

James and Nicolette both looked at Noelle and saw the difficulty she was having keeping the tears behind her eyelids. She managed to blink them back before they fell.

Sirius took her hand again. His other hand caressed her cheek and he wiped the solitary tear that had escaped off of her smooth cheek. He bowed his forehead so it was touching hers. As he gazed into her sapphire eyes, everyone else at the table seemed to melt away. Not a word was said, but the other three could tell that somehow, each one knew what the other was thinking. After a few moments, they pulled away from each other and both were now smiling. Noelle's eyes were still red with the strain of holding her tears back, but she was smiling nonetheless.

"What? Let's eat." She said, clutching Sirius' fingers under the table.

After all the food had been eaten, and the empty plates had been carted away, Remus had shyly offered to show Nicolette around the grounds. The brunette had blushed and jumped to her feet, eager to be alone with Remus for the first time since last summer. James had mumbled something about taking a spin on his broom and practicing for Quidditch. Noelle could tell that he was having a hard time with the fact that Remus had Nicolette, and Sirius had her, but Lily wasn't here. She could tell that he missed her, and that he felt like a fifth wheel in his own home. Once he had left, Sirius and Noelle were alone.

She sat back in her seat, gazing over the expansive grounds of the Potter estate. After a few silent minutes passed, she spoke.

"I still don't understand why you have to go." She said quietly.

"Noelle, I told you, I don't either. My parents want me home for some reason, and I assure you, it's not like I want to be there." He said sharply.

She sat up and stared at him intently.

"So tell them no. Tell them that you will not come." She said, a fire building deep in her eyes.

Sirius laughed. "You just don't get it, do you? If I don't go home, my father will track me down. He will come here and physically remove me from James' house. I have to go, Noelle. Even if I don't want to."

She shook her head.

"If you loved me, you wouldn't go." She leaned forward and kissed him passionately. "You wouldn't." She said fiercely.

He returned her kisses for a minute, and then pulled away and stood up.

"Noelle, loving you has nothing to do with why I have to go home! Why are you putting me in this position?" he said, his voice beginning to grow thin with frustration. He ran his hands through his dark hair, pacing the stone patio.

She bowed her head.

"Dammit Noelle! I can't believe you think I actually want to leave you."

She took a deep breath.

"I just have a bad feeling about you going there. I just don't think you should." She said, only exaggerating slightly.

"Well, bad feeling or not, I have to go. Don't make me feel guilty about it." He snapped.

With that, he spun on his heel and rushed down the steps to the lawn.

Noelle watched him go, and then reached for her water glass. She of all people knew what it was like to not be able to defy one's parents. She was just afraid that with Sirius not with her, she would be more susceptible to the charms of Olivier. The nagging feeling wouldn't go away. What door had she just opened by replying to Olivier's letter?


	3. Chapter 3 Coming and Going

Noelle had little time to think of the consequences of her actions. Her anxiety over Sirius going home occupied every available thought. Having Nicolette there also kept her distracted. Noelle was a very private person, and deeply valued her alone time. She never gave much thought to sharing a room with Lily, but something about having one of her oldest friends there forced her to be more honest with herself. Old friends can make that happen. Since they have known you for so long, they have seen you change and mature, and they rarely allow you to live in a fantasy world. Noelle pondered this on one of her usual early morning rides.

After one of these rides, as Noelle was finishing storing Orage's tack, Nicolette came to the stables to meet her.

"Bon matin." Noelle called over her shoulder.

"Good morning to you too." Nicolette replied as she leaned against the stall door.

"Today is the day, n'est-ce pas?"

Slowly Noelle turned to face her friend.

"Oui. He leaves today." She said heavily.

"Noelle, every thing will be fine. He is a big boy, you know."

"I know. But he is so unlike anyone in his family, and I can't bear to think of them annoying him. He's more sensitive than he ever shows."

"You must really care for him then."

Noelle looked slightly surprised.

"Of course I do."

Nicolette took a deep breath and steeled herself for what she was about to say.

"Then why is Olivier still writing to you?"

Noelle's breath caught in her throat as she clutched the strap of Orage's bridle. How could Nicolette have known that she was in contact with Olivier? Was nothing personal in her life? She slowly pivoted to face her friend. Nicolette was holding an envelope in her hand.

"What is that?" Noelle asked, desperately trying to keep her composure.

"It's a letter from Olivier. Etoile just dropped it off in the bedroom, so I picked it up to bring to you. I'd recognize his handwriting anywhere." She held out the envelope. Noelle reached for it and shoved it deep into her pocket.

"Relax Noelle. I'm not going to tell Sirius about it, but I thought you might need to talk to someone."

"There is nothing to talk about."

"Noelle, he was a jerk to you! How could you risk losing all that you have with Sirius?"

Noelle's navy eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I'm not risking anything, and I resent you implying that I am. There is no harm is keeping in contact with an old friend."

"He's more than an old friend, Noelle."

"So what? So what if I'm writing to him?" Noelle exploded. "I'm sick and tired of everyone sticking their faces in my personal business. Don't I have a right to some privacy?"

Nicolette was taken aback at the force of Noelle's anger. She had never seen her friend get so upset over such a simple conversation. Noelle pushed forward.

"Noelle, wait!" Nicolette reached for her friend's arm. "I'm not trying to tell you what to do, or who you can talk to, but I don't want to see you get hurt again. Olivier is not the one for you, and you know it. He'll never care for you the way Sirius does."

Noelle ducked her head briefly and covered her eyes. She took a few deep breaths and slowly turned to face her friend.

"I appreciate your concern, Nicolette, but please let me handle this." She said in an even voice.

Leaving Nicolette speechless behind her, she strode towards the main house, her hand over the pocket which contained Olivier's letter.

Once she was settled in the observation tower, she pulled the letter out of her pocket and slid her finger under the flap. With her hands trembling, she carefully unfolded it and began to read. Olivier's relief seemed to drip from his handwriting.

_My dear Noelle, _

_When I received your letter, my heart began to beat out of control. Without even knowing what may be written inside, I rushed outside until I was at our spot. Do you remember how much time we spent at that bend in the river, where the water tumbles over the rocks in a small waterfall? My favorite memory of you and me at that spot was the day we had lunch there, right before you told me about your illness. You were staring at the waterfall, and you looked so serious. When I asked you what was wrong, you looked at me with so much pain in your eyes that I felt a physical ache as well. You told me that you wished you could be that water, and just run over the rocks all day and never have to stop. Never have to answer to anyone about your whereabouts, or worry about anything at all. I took you in my arms and you cried against my shoulder for what seemed like hours. Somehow, I felt closer to you then I had ever felt to anyone. _

_When I read your letter, I could feel your confusion. I understand the conflict you must feel right now. Noelle, I want nothing but the best for you, but I need you to understand that without you, I am less than whole. Nothing is good anymore. The only comfort I have is your memory, and until I see you again, that will have to do. I love you Noelle._

_Always yours, _

_Olivier_

Noelle folded the letter and drew her knees to her chest. Of course she remembered that day. That bend in the river could be her favorite spot in the planet. That day was one of the worst of her life. She recalled thinking how ironic it all was. She had stared at the river, falling carelessly over the sharp boulders, wishing desperately that she was the water, so she would travel through the twists and bends, with nothing to ever stop her or harm her. She had stared so long and hard that Olivier had gotten nervous. She was quick to reassure him that there was nothing amiss, but it had been a lie. She remembered his arms around her and how he had tried to comfort her, but she found no comfort that day.

The memories of that day were washing over her and she couldn't hold them back. It was if by opening his letter, her past was coming back to her as if it were the present. She tried to regain control over herself. Sirius needed her today. She couldn't afford to be selfish while he was pretending to be strong. She needed to be strong for both of them.

Slowly she pushed herself to her feet and slid the letter into the waistband of her riding breeches. Pulling her jacket over the top of her breeches, she checked to be sure the letter was well hidden. She slowly descended the stairs back to her room. Cold water on her face helped calm her flushed cheeks and a few drops of Visine did away with her red eyes. She smoothed back her dark blonde hair and smiled at herself in the mirror. Her lips quivered at the corners once and then the smile held firm. Satisfied that no one would be able to read her true thoughts, she hurried out of the room.

The boys were in the cavernous foyer of James' house. They were playfully shoving each other and joking around loudly, but Noelle knew it was mostly for show. Nicolette was standing off to the side, watching them with a curious smile on her face. Noelle, who was quite accustomed to their antics, pasted a bright smile on and strode across the marble floor.

"May I have a moment with Sirius before he goes?" she asked flirtatiously.

Sirius bowed dramatically. "Of course you may, milady."

James and Remus started laughing hysterically as Sirius led Noelle to a small parlor off of the entryway.

"Cheering Charms?" Noelle asked knowingly.

Sirius smiled bashfully.

"Yeah, a couple. It was a great idea that Moony had. I feel great; I'm not nervous at all."

Noelle stood on her tiptoes and pecked him gently on the lips.

"Be careful. I will miss you so much." She whispered softly. "And you know if you need me, or James, or any of us, we'll come get you."

"Noelle, I'll be fine, I promise." He leaned down and kissed her sweetly. "But I am going to miss you more than words can even describe." His grey eyes darkened. "Are you going to be alright without me?"

"Of course. Nicolette is here, and Lily will be here soon. And you know that I get along wonderfully with James and Remus. I will be fine. I swear."

"If you need me, owl me. I'll move heaven and earth to get to your side."

"I love you Sirius."

"I love you Noelle."

They embraced tightly amidst catcalls and whistles from the foyer.

"Alright, alright. Enough, we get the point." Sirius said irritably.

Noelle walked over to where Nicolette was standing.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier." She whispered.

"Forget it, I already did." The tall brunette smiled down at her, but there was something in her eyes that made Noelle a little nervous. The door chimes sounded and silence fell over the hall.

"That'll be my dad." Sirius said, trying to sound light. He pulled the door open to reveal a tall stately man wearing deep green robes that were almost black. Noelle's practiced eye could tell that they were of an extremely expensive cut and material. Once she raised her gaze from his clothing she focused on his face.

He had blue eyes that were so bright they looked almost false. His dark hair was the same color and texture of his son's and they shared many of the same facial features. He was an exceedingly handsome man, not unlike his son, and somehow this took Noelle by surprise. She had been expecting someone more rough and brutish, since Sirius and James' descriptions were usually less than flattering. He stepped into the foyer and shot his cuffs.

"Well, son, are you ready to go?" he asked smoothly.

"Father, this is Noelle Lemieux. My girlfriend that I have told you about." Sirius said with a certain affectation that Noelle had never heard him use.

Noelle stepped forward and extended her hand gracefully as she had been taught to do when she was a very small girl.

Alistair Black's eyes ran up and down Noelle's slim figure very much the same way that his youngest son's had done and Noelle felt slightly dirty.

"Congratulations son, she is quite beautiful." He said, taking Noelle's hand in his own and bending to kiss her fingers. Resisting the urge to pull her hand away, Noelle smiled charmingly, thanking her years of etiquette training.

Mr. Black stood to his full height and nodded to James and Remus.

"James, Remus. It is a pleasure to see you again."

Both boys only nodded in response, knowing full well the torture that this man had inflicted on their best friend for years.

"Sirius, we really must be going. Your mother is anxious to see you."

Sirius nodded and flicked his wand at his trunk. It instantly shrunk into a pocket sized case, and he slipped it into his robes. He turned to James and Remus and shook each of their hands firmly, their eyes saying what their voices couldn't. He embraced Nicolette lightly and kissed her cheek. When he turned to face Noelle, his bottom lip was shaking slightly, but he stiffened it when he felt his father's eyes on him. He took her hands into his and squeezed them tightly.

"I love you so much." He mouthed to her.

"I love you too." She mouthed back.

He hugged her tightly, fiercely, as if he might never see her again. She gripped him just as tight until Mr. Black cleared his throat disapprovingly. Sirius stepped away and stood at his father's side. With his eyes locked on Noelle, he Disapparated with a sharp crack. Noelle groaned deeply at the thought of being without him for so long, and before Nicolette could catch her, she had slid to the marble floor.

She came to with her head in Nicolette's lap and James slapping her face gently. She brushed his hands away and tried to sit up. The blood rushed to her head and she fell back slightly. Her eyes blinked slowly in an attempt to clear her vision.

"Are you alright?" Remus asked.

She nodded, not trusting her voice.

"I just want to be alone for a moment." She struggled to her feet and wobbled toward the stairs.

"Leave her be. She'll be alright." She heard Nicolette say softly behind her.

She made her way to her bedroom and collapsed on her bed in a torrent of sobs. It was only for two weeks, she could do this. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Nicolette had been right. What was she doing, writing to Olivier? He had brought her nothing but heartache recently. _He used to be the only thing that mattered to you, _a little voice said in her head. But that was before he had betrayed her. _He doesn't love you. If he did, he never would have told Colin all that was sacred between you and him. _She shook her head violently to stop the voices. Turning so she was lying on her side, she reached for a pillow. She could barely make out the scent of Sirius' cologne on the case. She breathed it in deeply and closed her eyes.

Instead of Sirius, visions of Olivier clogged her mind. The night that he had been helping her with her Defense Against the Dark Arts in an unused classroom at Beauxbatons and she had finally managed to conjure a Patronus. She had been so excited and once it had faded, she spun to face him, giddily happy with herself. Pride had been spread across his face. He was proud of her and she flung herself into his arms in happiness. He had hugged her tightly and spun her around in circles until they were both dizzy. When they had stopped, she tilted her head up to smile at him, and he had kissed her soundly right on the lips. She had been so shocked that she couldn't even kiss him back. He had pulled away slightly, worrying that he had done something that she hadn't wanted. His fears had been erased when she had tugged his head back down and kissed him back.

Noelle swallowed as this memory faded. She didn't love Olivier, she loved Sirius. Why had he written to her? Why couldn't he just let what they had had die, as she had tried to let it do?

Downstairs, James, Remus and Nicolette were eating lunch on the back patio. There wasn't much talking between the three, seeing as how each was pre-occupied with the events of the morning.

"Do you think Noelle's going to be okay?" James asked Nicolette.

"Oui, she'll be fine. Once she calms down and realizes that it is only for two weeks."

"But they really haven't been apart for this long before. Not since they became serious about each other."

"Then this will be good for them. Absence makes the heart grow fonder." She answered sensibly with a sly gaze over at Remus, who blushed deeply.

"I worry about her sometimes. Some days, she's perfectly normal, but then others…" James' voice trailed off.

"She's barely with it." Remus finished.

Nicolette thought hard, choosing her words carefully before she spoke.

"Noelle is a complicated person. She's stronger than she knows, but everyone has always treated her as if she were very fragile. But she always manages to pull through. This will be no different. She'll be fine."

"Well, for both their sakes, I hope you're right. Anyway, Lily will be here this afternoon. She's the only one that can talk sense into Noelle anyhow." James said.

Nicolette's brown eyes darkened slightly.

"I've been Noelle's best friend since we were both very small. I think I know her a little better than any of you do." She said, sounding put out.

"Oh, I know. But Lily's better at talking to Noelle than any of us are, meaning Remus, Sirius and I." James quickly said, realizing that he had hurt Nicolette's feelings.

"Well, boys will never be better at understanding girls than other girls are. That's just a given." Nicolette said with a smile.

James laughed and tossed his napkin on the table.

"I need to go talk to the house elves about dinner tonight. I want them to make something special for Lily, and I think that Noelle might need some comfort food as well." He rose and went into the house, leaving Remus and Nicolette alone on the patio.

"James didn't mean to offend you, Nicky." Remus said, taking her hand.

"Oh, I know. But I know Noelle, and she'll cry and pout for a little while, and then she'll be fine."

"Do you think she really should be alone right now?"

"I wouldn't want anyone around right now." She rubbed his fingers gently. "Besides, I would like a little alone time with you now."

"Anything you want."

He leaned over and kissed her softly. She reached up and twirled her fingers in his light brown hair.

"Let's go for a walk."

He stood and held his hand out.

"I know just the place."

Noelle was still lying prostrate on her bed, too weak from crying to go find her friends, and far too emotional to try to pretend that all was well. She gazed out the window at the blue sky. The sun had slowly made its way over the house and was now headed behind the trees. Soon, the stars would be out, and she would be able to sneak away to the observation tower to stargaze and think about Sirius. She hoped desperately that things were going well for him at home, knowing that even if they weren't, he would lie to them and say they were. Feeling something poking her in the back, she reached into the waistband of her breeches and removed Olivier's letter.

She held it in her hands, part of her saying to tear it up and throw it away, and another part of her wanting to hide it with her most treasured possessions. What she should do is write to him and tell him to stop writing to her. She should tell him that she didn't want him anymore, that she didn't dream of him at night, and that she had forgotten all of the tender moments that they had shared. Closing her eyes to keep a fresh supply of tears in, she knew she could never do that. He was as much a part of her as Sirius was, even though she tried to deny it. She pulled her wand out and summoned parchment and a quill to her on the bed. As quietly as she could, she scratched off a reply.

Lily tugged at her trunk until it popped out from under her seat on the train. She smoothed her long red hair away from her face and bounced down the stairs onto the platform. She wished that she could just Apparate to James' house, but she wouldn't be seventeen until September. Once she was outside, she quickly hailed a cab to take her through downtown Manchester to the outskirts where James' lived. Seated in the back, she felt herself growing more and more excited as the cab drew her closer. Something about the month she had spent without her friends had made her admit something to herself. _Okay, the month that she had spent away from James Potter._ Not that she didn't miss Noelle, and Remus, and even Sirius, but she had missed James so much that she had talked her parents into letting her come a week early. The cab drew to a halt in the wide circular driveway that curved in front of James' house. She slowly exited the cab and climbed the marble stairs. Taking a deep breath, she rang the chimes.

James pulled the door open with a huge grin on his handsome face. Without saying a word, he pulled Lily into his arms and kissed her soundly on the mouth. Taken by surprise, she stood with her mouth hanging open as James reached behind her to pay the driver and take her trunk. He closed the door and dropped her trunk at the foot of the stairs, where a pair of house elves hefted it to their shoulders to bring upstairs.

"Nice to see you too, Lil." James said with a smirk.

"That was quite a welcoming." She managed to say.

He leaned over and kissed her smooth cheek. "I missed you, Lily."

"Oh, James, I missed you more than I ever thought I would." She said without thinking. When she realized what she had just admitted, she blushed a deep crimson.

James smiled deeper and took her hand as they followed the elves up the stairs. He squeezed it gently and gazed into her deep green eyes.

"How's everyone?" Lily asked, trying to cover her nervousness.

"Sirius left this morning, Remus and Nicolette are off somewhere, probably making out in the garden."

"And Noelle? How is she?"

"She's not doing too well since Sirius left. I think she's sleeping."

"Oh Lord. She must be a mess."

"Kinda." James said with a small smile. "I'll let you go in and talk to her." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and opened the bedroom door for her.

Noelle was curled on her side, still clutching the pillow that smelled like Sirius. Her shoulders were shaking slightly every so often with silent sobs. Lily looked back at James and he nodded at her. She smiled and he closed the door. Lily approached her best friend and laid a hand on her thin shoulder.

Noelle felt a hand touch her shoulder and followed it up to Lily's concerned face. Relief washed over her when she saw Lily standing next to the bed and she sat up. Without saying a word, Lily opened her arms and Noelle fell into them, clutching her tightly and starting to cry all over again.


	4. Chapter 4 Pretty Things in a Letter

**Chapter 4**

Noelle was immensely grateful that Lily had finally arrived. James had silently crept out of the room while Lily cradled Noelle in her arms and let the girl cry. Once she had exhausted herself again, Lily had laid Noelle gently on the pillows and tugged a light blanket over her legs. She closed the door softly behind her and headed for the stairs.

At the foot of the stairs, James was waiting with Nicolette and Remus. Immediately Nicolette asked about Noelle.

"I think she's just tired now. She's sound asleep." Lily said, sounding none too awake herself.

"Let's get you some food. You look famished." James said, slipping Lily's hand in the crook of his elbow.

Once the five teenagers were comfortably settled on the patio, Lily chose some fruit and cheese from the sideboard. After eating silently for a few minutes, she cleared her throat.

"Okay, so tell me the truth. What's really going on with Noelle?"

James looked bewildered, and Nicolette looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Nothing other than the fact that Sirius left this morning. She's been fine up till then."

Lily could see Nicolette squirming in her seat.

"Nicolette? Do you know anything?"

"Non. She has told me nothing." The tall brunette lied.

Lily sat back and brushed the crumbs off of her shirt.

"I think that Sirius leaving is not the only thing that's bothering her. It's something else too."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? She really has been fine until this morning. When Sirius left, she fainted dead away and when she came to, she went right upstairs. She hasn't been down since."

James shushed the group quietly as Noelle emerged from the French doors that led to the patio. The look on her face told them that she had heard every word.

"It is not nice to talk about people when they are not here." She said, trying not to sound as angry as she was.

"Noelle, we're just concerned, that's all." Lily said, her cheeks tinted crimson.

"I know, but still. I am fine; I was just a little emotional about Sirius leaving. That is all." She sat on the empty chair next to James.

They were all silent for a moment. Remus coughed and sat up a little straighter.

"So, what are everyone's plans for the evening? Anyone feel like going out?"

"I'm game." James said, taking a sidelong glance at Lily, who nodded in agreement.

"I think that I will pass." Noelle murmured, not really surprising anyone.

"James, is there anywhere good to go around here?" Nicolette asked.

"Oh, hell yes. Don't forget, you're in Manchester. Tons of good spots to go."

"What are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Lily said, shoving her chair back and standing up quickly.

They all headed for their respective rooms to shower and change, leaving Noelle on the patio alone.

"Noelle? Are you sure you don't want to come with?" Remus asked as he paused at the door.

She nodded and forced a smile. "I am positive. I'd like to get to sleep early."

Remus smiled at her gently. "Okay. Well, if you change your mind…" he trailed off.

"I will come find you guys. Promise." She said.

"Get some rest. I'll see you later."

Within an hour, Noelle was alone in the house. James' parents were out for the evening as well, so she had the run of the estate. She slowly mounted the stairs back to her room and plopped down on her bed. Glancing down at herself, she realized that she was still in her riding clothes, and in desperate need of a shower or bath. Peeling the grimy breeches from her body, she stepped into the shower.

There's something about a long steamy shower. It washes away not only dirt, but also bad days. Noelle felt her spirits lifting as the water swirled down the drain. When she stepped out of the shower, she felt reborn. She twisted her hair up so it would dry and slid the bathroom door open. Etoile was perched on the headboard of her bed with an envelope in his beak. _Sirius_, Noelle thought, quickly rushing to the bed and yanking out of her owl's beak.

She was wrong. Olivier's graceful handwriting curved her name on the front. Damn, she swore, already sliding her finger under the flap and pulling out the thin piece of paper.

_Dear Noelle, _

_Your letter made me smile. I know that this is awkward for you, and you feel that you shouldn't be writing to me at all, but I just want you to remember this. I love you. I always have, and I always will. There are many things that we need to discuss, and things that need to be said. Please, don't push me away. I only want what's best for you. _

_Olivier_

Noelle threw her head back and closed her eyes. Why, why did he insist on staying in her life? She looked back at Etoile. The tawny owl was staring at her balefully, hooting softly.

"What do I do, my friend?" she whispered, already knowing in her heart what she was going to do. The owl continued to stare at her, his brown eyes glowing in the weak hues of twilight. Noelle stared out the window into the gloaming and swallowed. Without a second thought, she was at her wardrobe, rifling through her clothes. She pulled a pair of jeans out of the drawer and tugged them on. She found a black sleeveless shirt and pulled it over her head. She released her blonde hair from its clasp and pointed her wand at her head. The strands instantly waved and curled until they were dry and tumbled over her shoulders to her waist. Shoving her feet into a pair of black heels, she hurried into the bathroom.

After ten minutes, her makeup was done. She didn't want to look as if she were trying too hard, after all. Spraying herself with perfume, she gazed at her reflection critically. With a dab of lip gloss, she was ready to go.

She grabbed her purse and stuck her wand in the waistband of her jeans. Running a hand nervously through her hair, she Apparated with a sharp crack.

She immediately appeared at the gate to the Roussards' estate. There were few lights on, and she could tell that there weren't many people present. _What if he wasn't home?_ Noelle panicked. _This was a stupid idea, a total mistake,_ she berated herself. _Just go back to James'; you know you shouldn't be here. _Nodding to herself, she lifted her head to Apparate back. She gave a start when she saw Olivier was standing in front of her.

"Noelle? Qu'est-ce que tu fait ici?" (What are you doing here?) He whispered in disbelief.

"Je devais venir." (I had to come.) She whispered back.

He rushed to her and embraced her tightly. Automatically her arms went around him and held him close. Something wasn't right. She pulled away.

"I shouldn't be hugging you. I should never want to touch you again." She said resentfully.

"Why is that? We have a history, Noelle. You can't just dismiss that offhand."

"You lied to me Olivier. You _lied_." She swiped a hand across her cheeks, cursing herself for her tears. "You swore to me that you would never tell. You _swore_ it!" she screamed, starting to lose control.

"What are you talking about? I never told anyone anything! Why would I hurt you like that?"

"I don't know why you would do it, but it had to be you. Who else would have known?"

"Noelle, our relationship was not exactly secret. We were followed by reporters, by our friends, even by people that weren't our friends. There was lots of talk about us."

"There was? I don't remember any of that." She said sullenly.

"That's because I was always there to protect you from it. I didn't want you to know that we were just a bit of gossip to people. I cared about you more than that."

Noelle folded her arms over her chest and sulked.

"Then how did Colin find out that we slept together? He told me that you told him. Why would he lie?"

Olivier laughed a bit. "Why wouldn't he, Noelle? You had just humiliated him in front of the International Confederation of Wizards. You were in the garden with that other guy and he couldn't take that. Matter of fact, it was pretty hard for me to take too."

Olivier's admittance of his jealousy took her by surprise. He had never, not once, admitted that he felt inferior to someone. He was normally so confident that it bordered on arrogance. This was a side of him that she had never seen.

"You look surprised." He stated.

"Oui, a bit. You've never been jealous of anyone before."

"Au contraire. Usually, I can hide it very well. I am a very insecure person Noelle." He said, his words sounding slightly shaky.

Noelle peered at him intently. "Have you been drinking, Olivier?" she asked suspiciously.

"Oui, just a little bit." He squeezed his thumb and forefinger together. "Every ten minutes."

In spite of herself, Noelle smiled a little. "You're drunk. I've never seen you drunk."

He bowed unsteadily. "That is correct. I've recently discovered the comfort of a bottle of wine. Maybe three or four bottles, actually."

"What do you mean the comfort? What is going so wrong in your life that you need to focus on it in a drunken haze?" Noelle said with her hand on her hip and her foot tapping.

"You, my dear. You're all I think of, and somehow, the fact that you're shacking up with some guy somewhere in Britain is easier to deal with when I've had a few glasses of wine."

"I am not shacking up with anyone." She said, highly offended.

"Bullshit." Olivier said delicately, with his brown eyes dancing in the light of the moon. "What do you call living at someone's house, when that someone is a boy?"

"I'm staying at James Potter's house." She stated.

"Who is Sirius Black's best friend. I assume that Mr. Black is there as well?"

Noelle nodded sullenly.

Olivier rocked back on his heels. "I rest my case."

She looked at him and smiled charmingly.

"You have no case, chére. In fact, you have no say in what I do at all. What does it matter to you if I am 'shacking up' as you say with someone? You relinquished your rights to have any say whatsoever in my life. You can't just write me pretty things in a letter and expect me to fawn all over you again." She said fiercely.

"What do you call this? You're here, aren't you?"

"I came here to tell you to stop writing to me. It's not fair to anyone, and it's hardly appropriate."

Olivier looked as if he were going to be sick.

"You're not serious are you?"

"Deathly."

"I don't think so. I think you came here with every intention of seeing me, but not to tell me to lay off, Noelle. I think that you told yourself that's why you were coming here, but frankly mon Chou, I know you better than that."

Noelle's jaw dropped at how easily he could still read her. Time had changed nothing. He pressed on.

"I think you just wanted to see me. Noelle, we have a connection. We'll always be a part of each other; it's useless to fight it."

She shook her head rapidly to deny what he was saying, but inside she knew his words held a touch of the truth. She thought of Olivier constantly. At times, when Sirius was being his normal immature self, she painfully felt the absence of Olivier's suave demeanor, his gracious manners and his ability to handle even the most difficult situations as an adult. She had fun with Sirius, but she found it hard to imagine trying to discuss responsibilities with him. She couldn't even tell him about her disease; for fear that it would freak him out.

Olivier sensed Noelle's indecision and moved slightly closer to her. When she didn't back away, he stood directly in front of her and took her hands into his own.

"Look at me Noelle." He whispered.

She swung her gaze from the wrought iron gate to his deep chocolate eyes.

"I love you. I've never betrayed you, and I never would. Give me another chance."

Before she could answer or react, his lips were on hers. She felt her heart swell and her arms stole around his neck to pull him closer. She swirled her tongue around inside his mouth, causing him to moan deeply and pull her closer. Her knees were shaking and her breath was hard to come by. She saw stars spinning behind her eyelids and then she realized what was happening.

Violently she shoved him away and wiped her mouth with disgust.

"How could you do that?" she demanded.

"Noelle, I thought that…"

"You thought wrong. Leave me alone Olivier. Don't write to me anymore, I'm running out of excuses to give to my friends."

With one last withering glare, she Apparated back to Manchester, leaving Olivier stunned and speechless at his gate.

She had never been so angry in her entire life. How could he have just kissed her like that? Had he no decency? No dignity left at all? What had he become? Furious with herself for letting it go that far, she stalked up the stairs to her room, confident that her four friends were still out.

No such luck. Lily and Nicolette were sitting on their beds, nervously swinging their legs over the sides.

"Where have you been?" Lily asked suspiciously.

"I...I went for a walk." Noelle stammered.

"In high heels? And make-up?" Nicolette asked skeptically.

"Why do you both sound so doubtful of me?" Noelle asked defensively.

"Because you look guilty as hell." Lily said.

Noelle swung her eyes away.

"You went to Olivier, didn't you?" Nicolette asked accusingly.

Lily laughed a little.

"Why would she go to him? She hasn't talked to him since last summer."

"Obviously you've missed quite a bit since you weren't here. Noelle has been writing to Olivier all summer." Nicolette said nastily.

"That's not true." Noelle said weakly. "He wrote to me first."

"Noelle! How could you do that?" Lily shouted.

"Because Noelle has never been able to make up her mind. She's always been weak like that. You're her best friend. You should know that."

"Nicolette, I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk to me like that. I've never done anything to you." Lily said, her voice quivering slightly.

"Talk to you like what? First of all, obviously Sirius isn't enough for Noelle, that's why she feels the need to keep going back to Olivier."

"What are you saying? That Sirius isn't good enough for Noelle? That's bullshit." Lily said, her emerald eyes glowing with anger.

"Maybe he isn't. He can't have half the breeding that Olivier has."

"You sound like you're talking about horses or dogs. What difference does breeding have to do with it? Sirius loves Noelle, loves her more than anything in the entire world!"

"Lily, I wouldn't expect you to care about breeding, seeing as how you're Muggle-born, but it's very important. Love has nothing to do with it. What does Noelle know about Sirius' family, other than they're extremely arrogant? She knows everything about Olivier's family; therefore, they make a better match."

Lily stood up, ready to do battle with Nicolette over her insensitive words.

"Love has nothing to do with it? Are you mad?" she said incredulously.

"You weren't raised as we were. It's no wonder that you don't understand."

"Oh, so now you're saying that even I'm inferior? Who do you think you are?" Lily fumed.

"Stop it! Now! Both of you just shut up!" Noelle screamed.

Both girls turned as if they were surprised that Noelle was still in the room.

"Lily, it's true. Nicolette and I were both raised to care about breeding and bloodlines. It makes for stronger, more powerful witches and wizards. But I have always said that I would marry for love first and breeding second. Nicolette, what happened to you? You always thought that as well."

"Because it is my duty, my destiny, and it used to be yours as well." Nicolette said with tears in her voice.

"What happened, Nicky?" Noelle asked softly.

The brunette took a deep breath.

"My father has already promised me to someone. He is a son of a German wizard that is quite respected in his country. I won't even meet him until the week of our wedding. He doesn't speak a lick of French or English, and I know absolutely no German. What do I have in common with this man? Our powers are compatible. That's why I have to marry him." She spit out all in one breath.

Noelle took to her side.

"I'm sorry, love. I didn't know."

"I just found out today." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Lily, I'm sorry about what I said, everything I said. I didn't mean it." She raised her brown eyes to look at Lily.

"I forgive you. Really, I do." Lily said, but she still looked deeply hurt. "Noelle?"

"Oui?"

"Were you really with Olivier?"

"Oui, I was. But only to tell him to leave me alone and to stop writing to me. I don't think he will be a problem any longer."

"Good. Because honestly, I don't think that Sirius would forgive you twice."

Noelle blanched slightly and nodded.

"He would not understand."

Lily raised a dark red eyebrow. "He wouldn't understand? Noelle, Nicolette and I know you better than anyone, and I don't think that we'll ever understand you."

Noelle smiled sadly.

"Lily, I don't even understand me. Just don't give up on me, okay?"

Lily reached for her friend's hand and clasped it tightly. Then she took Nicolette's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Sounds like you need a good cry." She said wryly.

The brunette started to laugh despite the tears pouring down her face and the three girls hugged on the bed. It was a touching scene, impossible to decipher from the outside. But just outside the doorway, James Potter was hovering, drawn by the shouting he had heard coming from the girls' room. He crept away back down the hall to his room, slowly digesting what he had just overheard.


	5. Chapter 5 Almost Caught

**Chapter 5**

_How was he supposed to keep this to himself? _James thought angrily the next day as he and Lily followed Remus, Nicolette and Noelle through the maze of hedges to the improvised quidditch pitch. It had been his sixteenth birthday present from his parents, and he was immensely grateful for the practice space. Noelle and Nicolette were chattering rapidly in French, and a confused Remus was trying desperately to keep up with them. Lily was very quiet beside him as they pushed their way through the last hedge.

"Lily? You alright?" he asked.

She looked up sharply. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"You look really distracted." He inquired.

"No, I'm fine. Just have a lot on my mind is all."

_Yeah, no kidding. _James thought to himself.

The girls perched themselves on the railing of the fence that surrounded the pitch while James and Remus grabbed their brooms from the storage shed.

"James seems quiet today. Do you think he knows anything?" Noelle asked with concern in her voice.

"How could he? I didn't tell him anything." Lily said, slightly uncomfortable with having to hide something so important from James.

The girls turned their attention to the two figures soaring high above them. James and Remus were tossing a quaffle back and forth, with James making one spectacular dive after another. Noelle swallowed nervously when she spotted Etoile gracefully looping around the boys as he flew in to deliver her a letter.

"Noelle! Isn't that Etoile?" Nicolette hissed as the three girls watched the owl fly closer.

Noelle nodded slowly. She whistled sharply for her owl, but Etoile was having far too much fun playing shadow tag with the two boys on their broomsticks to listen to her.

"Etoile! Get down here now!" she yelled into the sky.

The tawny owl reluctantly left the game of tag and glided down to her shoulder, where he landed much harder than he usually did. He glared at her angrily as she removed the letter from his beak and sent him back into the sky.

"Is it Olivier?" Lily asked quietly.

Noelle shook her head. "Non. It is Sirius."

She smiled as she slid her finger under the flap to remove the letter.

_Dear Noelle, _

_Hope you miss me as much as I miss you. I've only been home for a few days, and I'm already going crazy. I've barely slept at all because I'm so used to you being next to me. Regulus is just as charming as ever and I've already threatened to pull his teeth out with a set of pliers if he doesn't leave me alone. My father has been doing a lot of talking about the future, and although I can't say he's been a loving father to me, he has been a lot kinder. _

_This brings me to the real reason I'm writing this letter. Both my mother and father would like for you to come for dinner. Father has told her how beautiful you are and she is dying to meet you. I know that it might be a little uncomfortable for you, but since they are making an effort, I'd like to reciprocate. Please think about it. Owl me back as soon as you get this and let me know. I'll Apparate right away to get you. I love you so much._

_Sirius_

She folded the letter and tucked it back into the envelope.

"So are you going to go?" Nicolette asked over her shoulder,

Noelle jumped slightly and turned to scowl at her friend.

"Oui, of course I will go."

"Are you going to tell him about Olivier?" Lily asked nervously.

"Are you crazy? Absolutely not! He would flip out." Noelle said quickly.

She checked her watch. "If I owl him back right away, maybe we can get this over with by tomorrow." She hopped off the fence and hurried toward the house.

"Noelle!" James called from the sky.

She turned her face up and he descended enough so he was hovering just over her head.

"Who was the letter from?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"Sirius. He wants me to come to his house for dinner."

James looked skeptical and Noelle's heart froze for an instance. _He knows something_, she panicked. Thinking fast, she pulled the letter out and waved it at him. He reached down and took it from her hand. After scanning it quickly, he stared into her navy eyes until she began to feel uncomfortable.

"What?" she asked him, swinging her eyes away.

"So you're going?"

She nodded.

"I would change into robes. His parents are pretty traditional."

"Don't worry. I will." She said, eager to escape his inquisitive gaze.

Still studying her intently, he dropped the letter and she had to jump up to catch it before the breeze did. With a final stare, he took off back to where Remus was waiting.

She continued up the path, her heart pounding. He knew something was going on, she knew he did. But how? Lily wouldn't have betrayed her, and neither would Nicolette. She stuffed the letter into her pocket and quickly climbed the marble steps to the patio. Once she was in her room, she shuffled through the desk to find some blank parchment. She scribbled off a reply and turned to attach it to Etoile's leg. The owl stared at her.

"Et toi, mon ami?" she asked him. He continued to stare. "Just fly fast. Get it to him quickly, d'accord?"

The owl spread his wings and flew out the window. Sighing heavily, she then turned to her wardrobe to find something suitable to wear to Sirius' for dinner.

She began flipping through her Muggle garments until she reached the section where her robes hung in rainbow order. She should probably choose something rather sedate. She stifled a giggle when she thought of the way Sirius' stodgy parents would look down on her if she showed up wearing her favorite set of short, bright crimson robes. She pushed robes aside until she reached the blue ones. _Navy or light blue?_ She thought to herself. Normally, she would choose navy, because it matched her eyes, but it was summer. Navy was far too dreary for this time of year. She tugged at the pale blue robes until they fell off of the hanger. Unbuttoning her light pink blouse, she let it fall off of her shoulders. She stepped out of the white skirt and reached for the robes. Once they were over her head, she turned to face the mirror. The robes fit her nicely, hugging her curves slightly, but not too tight. They were a little low cut, but nothing that seemed inappropriate. Nodding to herself, she pulled them off again, and wrapped her robe over her body. She should probably do her nails, too, she thought with glance down at her tattered hands. The early morning rides and the grooming afterwards had really made them look horrible. Sitting down at her dressing table, she got to work.

After she was done with her manicure, she walked into the bathroom to draw herself a bath. Once the tub was full to brimming, she dropped the robe off of her shoulders and removed her underwear. She pinned her long hair up and slowly sank into the steaming water.

She soaked for a long time, long enough for her fingers to turn pruny. Rising reluctantly, she reached for a towel and gasped.

"God Noelle. You are so beautiful." He could barely speak.

"Sirius!"

She leapt out of the tub and threw her arms around him, planting kisses wherever her lips landed, not caring that she was naked and soaking wet. He returned her kisses fervently, not believing how much he had missed her in just a few days. When he finally pulled away enough to look at her, a crooked smile decorated his face.

"You're naked." He said.

"Oui, I am. Maybe you should be too." She responded playfully.

When he didn't object, as if he would, she tugged at the front of his black robes and ripped them from his body. Underneath, he wore a black sleeveless tank and a pair of khaki pants. She pressed her lips to his as she fumbled with his belt. Once she had it loose, she popped open the button of his pants and reached inside. He moaned and she grinned against his mouth.

"Does that feel good?" she murmured.

"You have no idea." He managed to say.

Releasing him for just a moment, she grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head, tossing it to the floor. Still kissing him, she pushed his pants down so that he could step out of them. Once he was naked, Sirius took control. He carefully laid her down on the tile floor and began to stroke her body. She moaned, delighting in the feel of his hands caressing her warm, still damp skin. He lightly massaged her breasts, teasing her nipples gently until she cried out that she couldn't take anymore. Rolling on top of her, he slowly began to enter her. When he was only slightly inside of her, he pulled out. She groaned in protest, but he didn't give into her yet. He wanted her to want him as much as he wanted her. He teased her like this for a few minutes until her cries were driving him mad. Thrusting deeply, he entered her fully as she let out an animal groan. The warmth of her body and her skin was too much to bear. They both climaxed quickly, surrendering to the overpowering desire that had taken over.

He lay on top of her once it was over, breathing heavily, his heart slowly starting to regain its normal rhythm. She was lazily drawing circles on his back, humming happily beneath him.

"Noelle?" he whispered.

She opened her eyes.

"I really missed you."

She grinned wickedly. "I know, chére, I could tell."

He gently rolled off of her and leaned on an elbow so he could look down at her.

"That's not what I meant. I mean, I missed that, for sure, but I really missed you too."

She reached up and touched his face.

"I know. I missed you too. It was so hard to sleep at night without you."

"Well, I'll be back soon. And tonight, you are coming with me."

"Tonight? But I'm not ready!" she stammered.

"What do you mean, you're not ready? Just put on some robes and we'll Apparate together."

She sat up and pulled her knees to her chest, chewing on her newly manicured nails.

"What is it?" he asked gently, taking her hand away from her mouth.

She swung a tortured gaze to him.

"What if they hate me?" she asked, her voice betraying her fear.

"They're not going to hate you. Surprisingly enough, my father had lovely things to say about you to my mother, and she is excited to meet you." He wrapped his arms around her shaking body. "They'll love you. I promise."

She bowed her head so it touched his.

"Okay. I'm ready."

He pinched her rear end. "You might want to put some clothes first though." He said teasingly.

She swatted at his hand and stood up to get her robe. Opening the door that led to the bedroom, she turned to face him.

"You might want to take your own advice." She threw back with a smile.

"Yeah, that would be nice, Sirius." Lily said, barely able to stop laughing.

Noelle spun to see Lily and Nicolette, both dissolved in giggles on the floor.

"How long have you been in here?" Noelle asked nervously.

"Long enough." Nicolette sputtered, clasping her side as she laughed. "Oh, I've got a cramp from laughing!"

That sent both of them into new hysterics as Sirius slammed the door shut and scrambled for his clothes.

Noelle shot both of her friends withering looks as she picked her robes up off of the floor. Once Sirius had pulled himself together as best he could, he emerged from the bathroom, his face blazing red.

"I'm going to find James and Remus." He muttered, rushing for the door.

"Bye Sirius!" Nicolette and Lily called out gaily as he fled the room.

"Wow, Noelle. I'm impressed." Nicolette said once she had controlled her laughter.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Noelle said as she tried to keep her eyes hidden from them.

"Sure you don't." she said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh, give it a rest Nicky." Noelle said, tossing a pillow at her friend as she began to laugh with them.

Sirius strode through the hallways, trying to straighten his robes as he went. Just his luck, Mrs. Potter was coming around the corner.

"Sirius! Back so soon? Did something happen?" she asked, worry etching lines about her forehead.

"No, not at all. I'm just here to pick up Noelle. She's coming for dinner at my house." He said, embarrassed to be caught with his clothes askew.

She reached forward and smoothed his rumpled hair.

"Well, she is a lovely young lady, with impeccable manners. I'm sure you parents will love her."

_Impeccable manners, my ass_, he thought wickedly. _She just attacked me on the bathroom floor, and I'm sure my parents would love that if they knew._

He smiled at James' mother. "I'm sure they will."

"James and Remus are in the solarium having lunch. Go say hello."

"I'm on my way there now."

"And come back soon! We miss having you here."

He hurried for the stairs.

"I miss being here!" he tossed over his shoulder.

He found his friends exactly where she said they would be. He walked to the table and plopped down across from James.

"Padfoot! What the hell are you doing here?" James said loudly, clapping his friend soundly on the back.

"Picking up Noelle for dinner at my house. Mom's invited the whole clan, but I didn't tell Noelle that. She's already nervous enough." He said, reaching for a sandwich. "Boy, I'm starving."

"Well, that kind of physical exertion will make you hungry, mate." Remus said with a twinkle in his eye.

"What are you talking about?" Sirius said.

"I'm talking about the massive hickey on your neck."

"You're kidding me. I don't have a hickey on my neck."

James nodded solemnly. "It's huge. The size of Ireland, at least."

Sirius slapped his hand over his neck.

"Oh, _shit._ My parents can't see that! They'll snap!"

James and Remus started to laugh.

"It's not funny! This, on top of both of your girlfriends seeing my bare ass is not something I needed today!" he fumed.

"What? How did that happen?" James choked on his iced tea.

"Noelle and I were in the bathroom. She opened the door to get dressed and Nicolette and Lily were right there. They thought it was hilarious."

Remus and James laughed even harder.

"You have to admit, Padfoot. It is rather funny." Remus tried to keep a straight face.

"No, he's right, it's not funny." James said. Remus turned to him questioningly. "It's freaking _hysterical_."

Both boys laughed even harder, James almost falling out of his chair while Sirius pouted.

"Now what's so funny?" Noelle asked as she came into the solarium.

Sirius stood quickly and went to her side.

"Nothing at all. You look wonderful. Ready to go?" he asked her all at once.

She nodded and he took her arm.

"See you guys later." Sirius muttered and hurried to the foyer so they could Apparate.

"Really, why is everyone laughing?" she asked grumpily.

He turned his face. "Look at this."

"Oh no. Hang on." She pulled out her wand and performed a tricky little charm. He felt his neck tingle for a moment. "All gone."

"Thanks, Noelle."

"Anytime."

"Are you ready?"

She took a deep breath. "Ready as I'll ever be."

With a small smile at him, she took his hand, and they Apparated together to Sirius' home.


	6. Chapter 6 Summer Days

**Chapter 6**

After Sirius and Noelle had left for Sirius' home, Remus left the patio to find Nicolette. James sat back in his seat, chewing his sandwich thoughtfully. Ever since he had overheard the girls talking that night, he had felt uncomfortable around Noelle. Maybe nothing was going on with Noelle and Olivier, but then again, maybe something was. He didn't know if he should tell Sirius, or just let it be. Sirius thought Noelle walked on water; there was no way that he would believe anything negative about her. And he wasn't entirely sure what was going on. Maybe it was just a normal friendship, he mused to himself.

"So serious James. Is everything all right?" Lily's voice took him slightly by surprise.

He swallowed the bite of sandwich that was still in his mouth.

"No, everything's fine. Just quiet, you know, without Sirius here."

Lily laughed.

"Tell me about it. I think I actually miss Noelle nagging me."

"Noelle nags? No." James said sarcastically.

"She's not that bad. Sometimes, I think she may be right."

"Right about what?"

Lily smiled bashfully and ducked her head.

"Just girl stuff." She quickly took a seat across the table from James and grabbed an apple.

James leaned forward.

"Can I ask you something, Lil?" he said seriously.

She nodded as she took a bite of her apple.

Without missing a beat, he dropped the bomb.

"Why is Noelle still writing to Olivier?"

Lily drew in her breath sharply and promptly choked on her apple.

"What are you talking about?" she stammered after she recovered.

"Knock it off, Lily. I heard you guys."

"You heard us? How? Were you eavesdropping?"

James looked offended. "No. I heard you guys yelling so I came to see what was going on. I heard you guys talking about how Noelle went to see Olivier the night that Sirius left. Why does she do this to him?" James asked plaintively.

Lily shook her head.

"No James. Olivier wrote to her. She only went to him to tell him to leave her alone. She loves Sirius, I know she does."

"It will destroy him if she leaves him. I really don't think he'd ever recover if she went back to Olivier."

"She won't go back to Olivier. She can't stand him."

James looked slightly skeptical, but Lily kept her gaze steady.

Finally, James smiled.

"It's really none of our business anyway, is it?"

Lily shook her head slightly.

"No, it isn't. But it's okay to be concerned. It's okay to care about your friends."

"I'd just hate to see them lose this. They've worked pretty hard to get to where they are."

James grabbed a glass of water and downed it quickly.

"Feel like a walk?" he asked her with a glint in his hazel eyes.

She nodded, grateful for the chance to be alone with him.

* * *

Nicolette lay back on the grass, idly twirling a blade of it between her fingers. She swung her eyes to face Remus. He was leaning back on his elbows, his face tilted toward the sun. He must have sensed her staring at him because he smiled gently at her.

"What's up?" he asked.

He looks so happy, she thought. He made her happy, happier than she had ever felt in her whole life. How could she forfeit this happiness? She didn't have a choice. She had to tell him. She owed it to him to be fair and honest.

"So I was thinking," he began. "At the end of the summer, why don't we go back to my house so you can meet my parents? I've told them all about you. Then, after that, I'll bring you back to France in time for the beginning of classes at Beauxbatons. Maybe I could meet your parents as well."

"That would be nice, but I do not see it happening." She whispered.

"What do you mean?" he asked, sitting up and shielding his eyes from the sun.

Nicolette sat up as well. She let her head fall back, and then dropped it forward so her dark brown hair hid her face. She reached for his hand and rubbed his fingers gently. With her other hand, she cupped his chin.

"We need to talk, but you must promise me that you will let me finish talking before you start."

Remus felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach, but he nodded for her to continue.

"I love you Remus. Just remember that."

He nodded again, truly feeling sick to his stomach. Nicolette took a deep breath and began to speak.

"My family is quite old fashioned. I am the youngest of three girls. Both of my sisters have been model daughters. They behave perfectly at all times. Antoinette was graduated from Beauxbatons as Head Girl and married the man my parents chose for her. Danielle could have gone on to university, but Mother and Daddy thought it was more appropriate for her to be married, so last year, she married the man they wanted her to marry. Me, I'm the black sheep. Did Noelle ever tell you about how she and I were almost arrested?" Nicolette asked, quickly straying off topic.

Remus shook his head, part of him already knowing what was coming.

Nicolette laughed at the memory.

"We were at the Cannes Film Festival. We were only about 14 or so. Noelle lied her ass off about how old we were in order to get some champagne. We got it, and got ridiculously drunk. Needless to say, we were caught, and they were going to arrest us, until they realized that she was the Ambassador's daughter. They called Monsieur Lemieux and he kept it out of the papers. We were grounded for the rest of the summer."

Remus laughed, picturing the two well bred girls stumbling drunk.

"My parents were furious. I think that now, three years later, they are still angry."

"Nicky, what are you saying?" Remus asked, his voice dangerously low.

"They've arranged a marriage for me as well. I will not be returning to Beauxbatons this year."

Remus doubled over, clutching his stomach and feeling as if his ribs had been broken.

"So, that's it? We're over before we've really even started?" he asked, barely able to keep the tears from falling.

Nicolette sat up and threw her arms around him.

"No, not yet. I cannot lose you yet." She cried desperately into his shoulder.

Remus hugged her tightly.

"No, you'll never lose me. No matter what. I'll always be here for you."

She kept crying and he rubbed her back, his own tears falling into her hair.

"How long do we have?" he whispered.

She lifted her head off of his shoulder and focused her gaze into his golden eyes.

"Until the end of the summer." She murmured, pulling his face down to meet hers.

* * *

Noelle had the worst case of butterflies in her stomach that she had ever had. She and Sirius had Apparated into a small cul-de-sac in one of London's nicer residential areas. She gazed around and saw the street sign.

"Grimmauld Place." She said aloud.

"Yup. Home sweet home." Sirius muttered.

She smiled and he squeezed her hand.

"Ready to go inside?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Which one is yours?"

"Here." He said, handing her a piece of paper. "Don't read it aloud. Just think it."

She stared at his familiar handwriting. _12 Grimmauld Place_, she thought.

As soon as she thought it, a large manor house, completely out of character in this part of the city, appeared in front of her. Taken aback, she stepped back slightly. Sirius caught her and firmly steered her toward the front door. Taking an elaborate key out of his pocket, he inserted it into the lock and turned. She took a deep breath, straightened her robes and pulled her shoulders back. She then reached for his hand and allowed him to lead her into the house.

It was eerily silent. She looked around the foyer and wanted to grimace. The décor was gloomy and there was a slightly stale odor in the air. She took a sidelong glance at Sirius and she could see how uncomfortable he was here. She smiled warmly at him, but quickly dropped his hand when she heard someone approaching from down the hall. A scrawny house elf sulked in the doorway.

"Mistress is waiting upstairs, Master Sirius. As well as everyone else." It said resentfully.

"We're coming, Kreacher." Sirius replied with forced politeness.

He began to climb the stairs, motioning for Noelle to follow him. With each step, her lungs grew tighter and tighter. She touched her pocket slightly. When she felt the small vial, she relaxed.

Sirius stopped at a set of double doors.

"You ready, love?" he asked, kissing her forehead gently and gazing into her eyes. She was so nervous that she couldn't even open her mouth. She could only nod. He smiled and flung the doors open.

* * *

Lily relaxed back against James' firm chest. They were sitting on the top of a high flat rock that overlooked the small lake on his property. The rock gave them plenty of privacy as the way it had formed created almost a room at the top. There were high walls on two sides, effectively shielding them from view. A light breeze picked up and lifted Lily's ruby hair so it danced around her face. James smiled down at her as she sighed happily.

"Are you happy, Lily?" he whispered into her ear.

"Blissfully." She said, twisting slightly so she could look at him. "It's so peaceful here. I feel so relaxed."

"Good. I'm glad you came."

"Why wouldn't I have come?" she asked.

"We never exactly got along until last year. I always thought that you didn't like me." James said.

"Honestly James, I never really did. But I think it was because I didn't know you. Once I got to know you, I realized that you're a great guy."

James raised a black eyebrow.

"What changed your mind?"

"Noelle."

"What?"

"Noelle. She made me see you as more than an arrogant prat, which is what I always thought you were. But you're not. And I'm glad I listened to her."

"What else did she tell you?" James said, his voice dropping in volume.

"She told me that I couldn't lie to her. She knew that deep down; I had always really liked you." Lily whispered, dropping her gaze down.

James swallowed.

"You had?"

Lily looked up and saw that James was trembling slightly. His hazel eyes were glowing behind his glasses and his face was slightly pink. Her breath caught in her throat as she studied the lines of his face.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" he asked softly.

"I…I can't help it. I just want to look at you." Lily stammered nervously.

"I want to kiss you." James blurted out.

"So kiss me." Lily whispered as she leaned toward him.

He gently took her face in his hands and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. He ran a finger over her bottom lip, causing her to shiver with delight. Her lips parted invitingly and her eyes closed. James couldn't take his eyes off of her perfect face. Carefully, he placed his lips on hers. A sharp tingle flew through both their bodies, causing Lily to make a small sound of surprise. James wrapped his arms around her tighter, wanting her to feel safe and secure. She snuggled deeper into his embrace, not taking her lips from his. They kissed for what seemed like hours, stroking each other's hair and back. Finally, Lily pulled away slightly.

"It's so hot today." She said, fanning herself with her hand.

"It is. It's almost…"

"Steamy." Lily said.

With a seductive smile that was strangely reminiscent of her roommate, Lily tugged at the hem of James' tee shirt. Yanking it over his head, she tossed it over the edge of the rock. James was stunned and looked at her in surprise.

"Lily? Are you alright?"

"It's the heat." She stated before pushing him back against the rock wall. She straddled him and lightly ran her long fingers over his smooth chest. Hours of Quidditch training had left him with sculpted muscles and a deep tan. His eyes closed and he let his head fall back. No girl had ever touched him the way that Lily was touching him, as if she were memorizing the feel of his skin and the shape of his body. Her long red hair fell around both of them as he reached for her to kiss her. He slipped his tongue between her lips, running it along her teeth, remembering how much she had liked it when he had done that on the couch in the Gryffindor common room. She responded eagerly, sliding her own tongue into his mouth and pulling him even closer.

His bare chest was glistening with sweat and he was feeling extremely overheated. Her gauzy cotton blouse was damp from the humidity. She pushed her hair off of her face and sat back on her heels.

"Let's jump in." she said, looking down at the water below.

"You're on." He said.

James jumped off of the rock into the cool water below. Seconds later he heard her splash beside him. He waded into shallower water and turned to face her. The water came up to her ribs. The white blouse that had been damp a moment ago was now soaked. It clung to her every curve, leaving little to the imagination. Lily noticed the way he was staring at her, his mouth open and gaping. She looked down and her first instinct was to cover herself. But the way James was staring at her made her stop. She liked the effect she was having on him, and she could see in his eyes that he was having a hard time tearing his eyes away.

He began to move closer to her, his eyes focused now on her own. She saw something that she had never seen in anyone's eyes before. He was looking at her in a way she had never experienced. _That's the way that Sirius looks at Noelle, _she thought. James reached her and put his hands on her waist. Her body jumped at his touch. He pulled her closer and slid his leg between hers, holding her up in the water. She clung to his shoulders and kissed him as passionately as she knew how. James began to lead her out of the water, and back to the rock. Once they were perched at the top again, he performed a cooling charm on the hot granite. Lily's clothes were steaming in the sun and she had a sudden urge to take them off. James was one step ahead of her.

Bringing his hands to the buttons of her blouse, he looked at her, silently asking her permission to undo them. She nodded slightly, her heart pounding. One by one, he unfastened them and slid her blouse off of her shoulders, exposing her white cotton bra. Her nipples stiffened at the touch of his fingers. He leaned down and kissed her shoulder, slowly making his way across her collarbone and chest to her other shoulder. She let her head fall back and concentrated on the goose bumps that were rising all over her body.

"Lily." He whispered softly against her creamy skin. "I love you. I love you so much."

Lily lifted her head and stared at the boy who held her so tenderly.

"I love you too James. I think I've always loved you." She barely managed to say.

"I love every part of you. Every freckle," he kissed her shoulder, "every thing about you."

He slid his hands over her chest, not touching her breasts, but almost going out of his way to avoid them.

Lily arched her back and cried out slightly in protest. She wanted his hands on her everywhere. She wanted to feel every inch of him pressed against her. She nudged his arm with her shoulder to guide him. He raised his eyebrows and she clumsily reached for him to kiss him. James took the hint and gently let his hands travel back up her body. When he reached her breasts, her breath caught again. He pressed lightly on them, causing her to writhe her body closer to his. He felt his own desire mounting more and more as he stroked and caressed her and knew that things were going just a bit too fast.

"Lily, I think we'd better stop." James said, his forehead pressed against her shoulder.

"But I don't want to stop James."

_Dammit, how was he supposed to resist her when she pleaded like that?_

"Lily, I want you so much. I can't believe I'm even suggesting this, but I think it's the right thing to do. But I want everything to be perfect for you. I want flowers, candles, music, everything."

She slowly opened her eyes and stared at him.

"Please don't be angry with me." He whispered, kissing her.

"I'm not angry. Just unbelievably frustrated." She said, her cheeks bright red.

James smiled and summoned her blouse to her. He helped her on with it, touching her as much as possible.

"I just love you too much to screw it up." He said.

"Aww, James, what sweet pillow talk you have." Lily said, smacking him lightly on the shoulder.

He hopped down off of the rock and reached to help her. Once they were on the ground, he picked up his own shirt and pulled it over his head. He knew that they both were flushed and looked flustered, but there was nothing he could do about it. He just hoped they managed to make it back to the house before anyone saw them.

* * *

Remus and Nicolette were far too occupied with each other to notice anyone else around them. Nicolette seemed insatiable, tearing at Remus' clothes and practically smothering him with her lips. Not that he was complaining. This was his Nicky, the girl that he loved so desperately that he couldn't stand to think of her touching another man, much less married to him. He responded enthusiastically, rubbing her smooth tanned flesh and kissing her back with every ounce of passion in his body.

They were in the seclusion of the rose garden, completely blocked from view by the tall hedges and a few security charms that Remus had thrown up when she had ripped his shirt completely off of his body. Her own blouse was long gone, along with her pink lace bra. She wore only the matching thong, and he wore only his khaki shorts. Her skirt was draped across a rose bush, next to his belt. He couldn't believe how uninhibited she was. Now she was tugging at the waist of his shorts, eager to add those to the clothes that had accumulated around them. Once she had them off, she pulled at her thong and tossed it to the side.

Completely naked, they embraced on the soft grass. Nicolette slowed her frantic pace and kissed him softly. Their lips rubbed against each others and they murmured words of love and adoration to each other.

Slowly Nicolette began to move her hips from side to side, causing Remus to take in a sharp breath. He didn't think it possible to be more aroused than he already was. He rolled on top of her and with his lips pressed firmly to hers, entered her with one thrust.

All of their foreplay had definitely caused him to lose some endurance. Within seconds, he was gasping for breath with his forehead bowed on her shoulder. She was smoothing his hair away from his face and kissing him on the cheek and neck.

"I'm sorry, Nicky. I just couldn't help myself."

She smiled against his face as she teased his ear with her tongue.

"It is fine. You can just make it up to me in a little while." She said flirtatiously.

"Oh, don't you worry." He said, kissing her neck. "Do you know how much I love you?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't."

He spent the rest of the afternoon showing her in every way he knew how.


	7. Chapter 7 Meet the Blacks

Chapter 7 

Noelle took a deep breath before she entered the room. Members of Sirius' family surrounded her everywhere she looked. Noelle's navy eyes widened as she took in nearly twenty people, each of them staring at her inquisitively. Sirius' father rose from his seat to greet his eldest son's girlfriend.

"Noelle. How lovely to see you again," he said, squeezing her hand a bit too long. He nodded to Sirius, who cleared his throat.

"May I present Noelle Lemieux?" he said in the tone that Noelle quickly realized was his family voice.

Every person in the room collectively nodded at her as she dropped a small curtsy. From a tall backed ornate carved chair, a woman with hair the color of the sun cleared her throat. She rose elegantly and glided across the room as if on casters. Noelle swallowed nervously as she watched the woman who had to be Sirius' mother move closer to her. She was tall and lithe, her face more handsome than beautiful. Her features were strong and stately, her eyes the same color as her sons' were. However, they lacked the warmth of her eldest son. They resembled the harshness of her younger son's far more. She studied Noelle intently, not extending her hand for several moments. Finally, she smiled coldly.

"It is nice to finally meet you, Noelle. I am Lavinia Black."

Noelle dropped another curtsy.

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Black," she said, her voice steady and even.

Lavinia Black kept her gaze focused on the beautiful young woman in front of her before clearing her throat again.

"We'll adjoin to the dining room now," she said.

Silently the family members rose and passed by her, some smiling at her, but most of them passed her without a second glance. She noticed a few young witches who appeared to be close to her age, but did not recognize them from Hogwarts. Her throat closed when she did recognize one of them.

"Ah, Noelle. What a pleasure to finally have you in our home," Regulus said, his voice oily.

"Hello Regulus," Noelle replied, her teeth clenched.

"You're looking very well. Very healthy, with your flushed cheeks. If I didn't know better, I'd think that you had been exercising outdoors. However, I know my brother better than that. He prefers to exercise indoors."

"Regulus, I swear to God, I will pound your face into a pulp if you don't shut your mouth," Sirius said with his voice barely controlled.

"Temper, temper dear brother. We wouldn't want to give you indigestion before you even eat, would we?" Regulus called over his shoulder as he headed for the dining room.

"I swear to God, I am going to kill him one of these days," Sirius seethed.

Noelle laid a reassuring hand on his arm.

"It's okay, Sirius. That's not nearly as bad as what he said to me the first time we met."

Sirius smiled at her and took her by the elbow to lead her into the dining room. She found her seat, which was placed well away from Sirius. She had been seated on Mr. Black's left, while Sirius was further down and across the table from her. She swallowed nervously and took her seat. Mrs. Black gave a sharp nod and instantly the house elves began to bring in the food.

Everyone at the table was silent while they were served. Noelle had been at plenty of formal dinners with her parents, but never had she experienced such a cold gathering. When the house elves had finished serving, everyone picked up their silverware almost in unison and began to eat.

The food was very good. Not a word was spoken as the first course was cleared until Mrs. Black delicately cleared her throat.

"So, Noelle. How did you meet my son?" she asked.

Noelle took a deep breath before she answered.

"I transferred to Hogwarts at the beginning of last year. Sirius was assigned to be my guide in my first few days. He was a great help."

Lavinia Black raised a pale eyebrow.

"My eldest son, a great help? If you had been talking about Regulus, I would find it easier to believe."

Noelle had to fight to keep her jaw from dropping in shock.

"And what house did you say you were Sorted into?"

This came from a slender red headed woman on Mrs. Black's right.

"I didn't say, but I am a Gryffindor," Noelle replied tightly.

A disgusted snort echoed from the far end of the table. Noelle leaned forward slightly to catch a glimpse of who it had come from. A dangerously beautiful witch was glaring at Sirius from over a wine goblet. She had long straight black hair and deep set black eyes. She noticed Noelle looking at her and turned to face her directly.

"I just have no respect for Gryffindors," The young woman said icily. "I never did, even when I was at Hogwarts."

"Houses don't really matter much to me. I have friends from Slytherin as well," Noelle said. This girl was really starting to piss her off.

"Well, when you're raised in a pureblood family, you come to appreciate families that have the same values of your own."

Noelle's navy eyes narrowed and she was about to spit out a caustic comeback, not caring about the kind of impression she was making on Sirius' family when Regulus spoke up.

"Bellatrix, it's not nice to start the purity talk during the first meeting. Shame on you. Noelle probably thinks we have no manners whatsoever."

Noelle turned in surprise to face Regulus. She was about to give him a thankful smile when he continued.

"Besides, does she really look like someone who was raised with proper values?"

Noelle felt hot tears of anger and humiliation spring to her eyes. She whipped her head around to look at Sirius, wondering why he wasn't defending her. His head was down, but his jaw was set and his fists were clenched. She swallowed a huge lump in her throat and scanned the faces of the rest of the dinner guests. Every face was impassive, not caring how insulted she had just been. She thought hard before choosing her next words.

"Values and opinions are different in every country I assume. Your opinions would be very out of place in France, I assure you," she said calmly.

Sharp breaths were drawn in from around the table, and Noelle knew that she had definitely crossed the line. Mrs. Black was glaring at her eldest son, and Mr. Black was shaking his head. Sirius glanced at Noelle quickly and she could see how sorry he was for exposing her to his family. Noelle picked up her napkin and wiped her mouth daintily. She rose as gracefully as her shaking knees would allow and faced both his parents in turn.

"I thank you for having me to dinner," she said clearly. She dropped a quick curtsy, spun on her heel, and stormed out of the dining room.

Once in the corridor, she leaned against the wall to regain her composure. She heard frenzied muttering coming from the dining room, and a chair scraping against the floor as it was pushed back. She began to make her way quietly to the stairway when the dining room door opened.

"Noelle, wait," Sirius said quietly.

"No, you wait! How could you just sit there and let them talk to me like that? How could you?" she fumed with fire in her eyes.

"I told you my family was like this. I warned you," he said softly.

"Bullshit. You let them talk to me like I was nothing! Like I was trash!" she steamed, her voice getting louder and louder.

"Please Noelle. Not so loud," he begged her.

"I'll be as loud as I want. I have never been so insulted…" she said, barely able to speak. She found it impossible to even look at him. She spun again and stormed down the stairs with Sirius pleading with her to understand.

In the entry way, she paused just long enough to gather her wits so she could Apparate back to James' house. She reached for the door and was stopped in her tracks.

Bellatrix stood before her, glaring angrily down at the petite girl.

"How dare you behave so rudely towards a family that has invited you to dine at our table?" she spit out.

"How dare you speak to me the way you did? You speak of values and morals, but I was raised with something else. It's called class. Ever heard of it?" Noelle taunted.

Shocked into total silence, Bellatrix couldn't even think of a comeback to say to Noelle. She stood there sputtering angrily while Noelle folded her arms over her breasts and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Obviously not," Noelle said snottily before she turned to open the front door.

"Noelle, wait!" Sirius called as she tried to reach her. He was stopped dead in his tracks and fell over to hit the floor.

Noelle turned quickly in surprise to see Mrs. Black standing halfway up the stairway with her wand pointed at her eldest son. She carefully made her way down the rest of the stairs and looked down at Sirius in disgust. Using the toe of her pointed shoe, she pushed his still form out of her way. With her eyes narrowed to small slits, she glared at Noelle furiously.

"You speak of values and class, but you speak to your elders in such a manner? My son has brought home some rude people in his life, but never have I met such an insolent girl. My niece was right. You don't belong here, and you'll never fit in. My son deserves someone that is compatible with his station in life, and you, Miss Lemieux, are not that fortunate."

Noelle's jaw dropped to hit her chest. She was stunned and hurt, not believing how much words could hurt. Before she could think of a similarly caustic remark, Sirius recovered from his full body bind.

"Mother, how dare you speak to Noelle in that way? This is the woman that I love, and neither of you have any right to belittle and degrade her like that. She has more manners and class in her little finger than either of you has combined. If you insist on insulting her, then I find no reason to continue living under your roof."

Sirius' chin was set and his eyes were focused on his mother. She didn't make a sound and what her son had just said to her didn't register an effect in her face or posture at all. She simply raised her right hand, the hand that held her wand and pointed it into the salon at her right. A beam of bright violet light shot out of the tip and struck a large tapestry that was hanging on the far wall. Noelle squinted to read the top line.

_The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black_

"_Toujours Pur"_

Where the jet of light had hit was a smoldering hole. Her hand went to her mouth when she realized what had just happened. Sirius' gaze was also focused on the burn, where moments before it had read _Sirius William Black_ in delicate calligraphy. Now Regulus' name was the only one below those of Sirius' parents.

"So it is then," Lavinia Black said with her voice even and calm.

Sirius pulled his broad shoulders back.

"So it is," he repeated.

He took Noelle by the elbow and led her to the door.

_"Accio trunk,"_ he said quietly. Within seconds, his trunk was banging down the stairs to rest at his side.

"Good day, Mrs. Black. I would say that it has been a pleasure, but well, we both know that's a lie," he said with a relieved glint in his grey eyes.

Without another word, he Apparated back to Manchester. In his hands he held all that he had left in the world; in his left, his trunk, and in his right, Noelle.


	8. Chapter 8 Selfishness and Lies

**tChapter 8**

Still fuming, Noelle angrily wrenched her arm from Sirius' grasp when they arrived in the foyer of the Potter estate. She spun on her heel and began storming up the long winding staircase that led to her bedroom.

"Noelle, wait, please!" Sirius called desperately from the base of the stairs.

She stopped on the fifth stair from the bottom, her chest heaving in frustration. With her head down and her gaze focused on her feet, she began to speak in a controlled voice.

"You allowed them to insult and degrade me horribly. Those words cut like razors, Sirius. To be told that I have no class and my breeding is inferior to yours might be the worst thing that someone has ever said to me. And you allowed them to do it. You allowed them to make me feel like that."

Sirius tried to interrupt, but Noelle continued, talking right over him.

"You told me that you would take care of me. You promised me that you would never allow anyone to hurt me again. I trusted you." The pain in her voice was killing him. It felt as if a searing hot knife was slowly being pushed into his stomach. She wrenched the knife.

"How am I supposed to trust you again?" she asked, turning slowly to face him. Fat tears were pouring unrestrained from her eyes, and she was chewing on her bottom lip.

Sirius wanted to pull her into his arms and reassure her that he never meant to hurt her, but the look in her eyes was telling him to keep his distance. Sure, Noelle was angry, but that anger looked as though it could turn to hatred in a split second. So instead of comforting her, he dug his toe into the marble floor and kept his gaze down. She gaped in surprise.

"Nothing? You have nothing to say?"

Sirius threw his arms apart.

"What do you want me to say Noelle? That I'm sorry? I've said it a hundred times, but that's not enough, is it?" he exploded. "I just told my family to fuck off! Maybe you were able to do the same thing and have it not affect you, but not me Noelle!"

Noelle was stunned at the force of his fury. She placed a hand at her throat and opened her mouth to say something, but he beat her to it.

"I don't have a trust fund like you do, sweetheart. Nothing's ever come easily to me in life, and now it never will. Christ almighty, Noelle, what the hell is wrong with you? Can you ever think of someone other than yourself?"

Noelle stood as straight as her shaking knees would let her.

"You're calling me selfish?" she said in a small voice.

"You're damn right I'm calling you selfish. All you ever think about is yourself. If it doesn't benefit Noelle Lemieux, then you don't do it. You act as if everyone on this planet was put here to make your life easier. You play with people's feelings. You pick people up and you put them down like they were pieces on a chessboard. I'm really sick of it Noelle." He paused to take a breath and she began to speak.

"How long have you felt this way?" she asked, her voice dangerously low and steady.

"How about since I found out you cheated on me with that slimy git? I've been there for you through everything. I've held your hand when you cried over how your father treated you; I stood by you when the whole school was calling you a whore. Name one time that you've been there for me?" he challenged.

By this time, most of the other inhabitants of the Potter home had made their way to the foyer and were silently watching the drama unfold. They all knew better than to get in Sirius' way when he was acting like this.

Noelle was ghostly pale and her chest was painfully tight. She fumbled in her pocket for her potion, and found nothing.

"How dare you call me a whore? How dare you!" she managed to say between ragged breaths.

"Oh, don't even start with the fainting act, Noelle." He spat.

She raised her navy eyes to him.

"You think you've been there for me? You think you've done everything for me? That slimy git, as you call him, has done more for me. He saved my life, Sirius!"

Sirius stepped back slightly.

"What do you mean, he saved your life?" he asked suspiciously.

Noelle slowly made her way down the stairs until she was standing directly in front of him.

"That 'fainting act' you just spoke of? It's not an act, Sirius. It's Cystic Fibrosis. I'm dying, you know. Have been since I was a small child actually. Well, that is, until Severus concocted a potion for me. It keeps my lungs clear and helps me to breath easier." Noelle smiled in her charming way. "So you see, you're not the savior that you so like to portray yourself as."

Amazingly, as she spoke the secret that she had sworn to keep from him, the pressure was released from her chest. Her shoulders didn't feel as heavy as they had felt for the past three years.

"You kept that from me, all these years?" he asked her.

She nodded; suddenly wary of the fury she saw building in his eyes.

"And you still think you're not selfish? I would have shared that burden with you, Noelle. I would have helped you through it. That's what love is, that's what trust is. If you've felt the need to keep that secret from me, since the day we met, our whole relationship has been a lie."

Noelle shook her head furiously and reached for his hand. He yanked it away.

"No, Sirius, it hasn't been a lie! I did it to protect you!" she begged.

"You did it to protect yourself."

With a final disgusted look at the girl he had loved so much, he ground his heel into the marble floor and walked out the front door.

Noelle watched him go silently. From the archway that led into the sitting room, Lily made a move to go to her friend's side, but James held her back.

"Give her a minute," he said softly.

Noelle continued to stare at the retreating back of Sirius until she could see nothing from the tears in her eyes. She turned to walk up the stairs, but quickly spun back to face the doors.

"Sirius!" she screamed, her face red and wet.

Either he didn't hear her or he didn't want to, because he kept walking away from her.


	9. Chapter 9 A Violent Betrayal

**Chapter 9**

Somehow his feet kept carrying him away. Hearing Noelle scream his name like that sent shivers down his spine, but he couldn't make himself turn back towards her. Suddenly, everything about her made him furious. He was done. Done with the secrets, done with the lies. How could she have kept something that monumental from him? She was dying. Dying! A sharp pain in his side caused him to wince slightly and slow his pace. Taking his first glance around him, he found that he was a good two kilometers from James' house. He stopped and collapsed onto the soft grass.

He cradled his head in his hands and wiped at his eyes. Why hadn't she told him? Yet she had told Snape? Didn't she know that he would have done anything to make her well?

"Why?" he screamed out loud. "Why her?"

The still summer air was heavy with silence and his outraged voice shattered the calm, causing several grouse to take flight about 15 meters away from him. The tears that had been threatening since they had returned to Manchester finally were too much to bear. Under the summer stars that Noelle loved so much, Sirius curled into a ball and cried until he fell asleep.

Noelle had resisted all the efforts of her friends to help her. James, being the only one of them who didn't know her secret, was too shell-shocked by what he had just witnessed, quietly slipped out of the house in the same direction that Sirius had taken. Remus went quickly to Noelle's side to assist her up the winding staircase. She waved him away.

"Leave me be, Remus," she said in a shaky voice.

Putting his hands up, he backed slowly away from her. On unsteady feet, she wobbled drunkenly up the stairs to her room. She shut the door behind her, and leaned against it. Rubbing her temples tiredly, she whimpered.

She hadn't meant to tell him like that. She had planned to break the news to him gently, without a scene, and had hoped to avoid exactly what had just transpired downstairs. A small sob caught in her throat and she looked warily around the room. On the small nightstand next to her bed were half a dozen framed photos of her and Sirius. In each one, they were both smiling and happy, laughing and enjoying the time they were spending with each other. She made her way over to the table and picked up her very favorite picture. It had been taken last summer in Cannes, just before the Ambassador's Ball. Sirius was deeply tanned and smiling broadly, displaying straight white teeth. Noelle was reclining against him, her long blonde hair pulled back off of her face and her navy eyes shaded by wide sunglasses. The turquoise two piece she wore showed off her own deep tan. It might have been the happiest day of the summer. Swallowing a large lump in her throat, she tried to smile at the memory, but the image of Sirius turning his back on her kept invading her thoughts. Clenching her fist around the frame, she heaved it at the wall and dissolved into a fresh batch of tears.

James hurried over the grounds of his family's home, his hazel eyes searching for a sign of his best friend. He almost tripped over Sirius' inert body on the ground.

"Padfoot? You okay?" he asked softly.

Sirius laughed bitterly.

"Am I okay? Are you joking?"

James sat next to his friend.

"You know what I mean."

Sirius turned wounded eyes to him.

"She lied to me, mate."

"She didn't lie, she just didn't tell you something." James said feebly.

"It's the same thing. She lied," he said firmly.

"Have you always been one hundred percent honest with her?" James asked directly.

Sirius looked highly offended.

"Of course I have."

James looked at Sirius over the bridge of his glasses.

"About everything? Including last summer?"

Sirius shifted his eyes away from him.

"We weren't officially together yet, so it doesn't count."

"But it would kill her if she knew, right?"

"I was going to tell her, I was just waiting for the right time." Sirius explained lamely.

James raised a black eyebrow.

"The right time? Padfoot, there is no right time to tell a girl that you shagged someone she hates."

"I would have told her eventually!" Sirius protested.

"Right, and think of it this way. When's the right time to tell your boyfriend that you are dying?"

Sirius opened his mouth to say something, and then shut it quickly.

"So do you see where I'm coming from, mate?" James asked gently.

"Yes, but I don't like it. And I'm still furious."

James clapped his hand over Sirius' shoulder.

"I think you guys need to talk this out. Without an audience this time." James said wisely. "You've both worked too hard and come too far to throw it all away. You need her now, and you know she'll always need you."

Sirius nodded and reluctantly got to his feet.

"But I'm not apologizing," he warned.

James laughed.

"If you were any more stubborn, you'd be a brick, "he said, shaking his head with a laugh.

Lily knocked softly on the door. She could hear Noelle sobbing inside and wanted to make sure she was alright.

"Noelle? How are you doing?" Lily called softly through the cracked door.

Noelle sat up on her bed.

"You can come in." she said, sniffing and wiping tears off of her cheeks.

Lily pushed the door open and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Is he right, Lily? Am I really selfish?" Noelle asked in a small voice.

Lily smiled uneasily.

"Sometimes you are."

Noelle took a moment to digest this information.

"I suppose I am."

Lily was quick to reassure her friend.

"But it's not in a bratty way. You pushed as all away for so long, it seemed like you were being a snob sometimes."

"But to hear him say that he has felt this way for so long and never told me? That is what hurt the most."

Lily nodded. "Yeah, I can see why that would hurt."

There was another knock at the door. Lily rose to answer it.

"I don't think that this is the best time," she said firmly.

"Lily, it's the only time. Please let me in."

Noelle's stomach jumped when she heard Sirius' voice.

"Lily, it's alright. Let him in."

Against her better judgment, Lily pulled the door the rest of the way open. Sirius entered the room. He wasn't smiling, but he didn't look as infuriated as he had when he had stormed out of the house.

"Could we have some privacy?" Sirius asked pointedly when Lily made no move to leave the room.

"Oh, now you want privacy?" Lily asked incredulously.

"Lily, please?" Noelle's navy eyes pleaded with her friend.

Lily sighed heavily. "Fine."

With a final glare at Sirius, she stalked out of the room.

Once the door was shut, Noelle began to speak.

"Sirius, I'm sorry, I should have told you about my disease," she began.

He held a hand up to stop her.

"Noelle, I don't want to hear explanations."

She sat back in confusion.

"Then why are you here?"

He ran his hands through his dark silky hair.

"That's a good question."

He sat down on the edge of Nicolette's bed and rubbed his hands together.

"I guess I never got over the fact that you cheated on me with Snape," he said, stunning himself with his honesty.

Noelle bowed her head in shame.

"I mean, come on Noelle, he's like my worst enemy on the planet. Of all people, why him?" he demanded, but his voice wasn't angry, it was sad.

Noelle raised her head to look him in the eye.

"He was there for me. Always, without question. His devotion to our friendship has never wavered. You haven't exactly been the nicest person to me all the time. He has. He was my first friend at Hogwarts, and it just happened, Sirius. We were both swept away in the moment, and we couldn't help ourselves."

"But you were caught by a professor. That's so humiliating, Noelle."

Noelle looked at her hands again.

"It was all over by the time McGonagall walked in."

Sirius' dark eyebrows shot up.

"All over? What do you mean 'all over'? It was just a kiss, right?" he asked, feeling a ball of fear developing in his gut.

Noelle's eyes widened and she ran her tongue across her lips nervously.

"Wasn't it, Noelle? I swear, don't tell me another lie, I can't take any more lies from you," he said, the panic in his voice becoming more and more apparent. "Wasn't it?"

She didn't say a word. She just looked up from her hands and gazed into his face.

"I love you, Sirius," she said softly. "No, it wasn't."

His mind raced, conjuring images that made him ill. He leapt off of the bed and ran for the wash room.

Noelle could hear him retching over the toilet. She crawled off of her bed and went to the door of the lavatory.

"Stay the hell away from me. Just stay away!" he screamed. "How could you do that with him? How?"

"I told you, it just happened. I couldn't stop it!" she yelled back.

"So he made you do it? Is that how it happened?" he asked, the hope and desperation evident in his voice.

It would be so easy to tell him yes, that was exactly how it happened, to tell him that she had been seduced. But if she said that, it was as good as signing Severus' death warrant.

"No, he didn't make me do it," she said.

Sirius gagged again and sat back against the bath tub.

"Why Noelle? What did I ever do to drive you into his arms?" he asked plaintively.

Noelle sank to her knees.

"You didn't do anything. I don't know what made me do it. And you didn't drive me into his arms. It was one time! I know where I belong, Sirius and it's in your arms, not his. I don't love him, I love you!"

"You don't know how to love someone, Noelle. You love yourself too much." Sirius said, his voice deathly low.

"That's not fair, Sirius! Are you telling me that you think that I don't love you? How could you think that?"

Sirius stood uneasily.

"I'm no angel, Noelle. God knows I'm not. But I've never hurt anyone as much as you've hurt me."

"Now who's telling lies? You've wounded me deeply, Sirius Black, so don't stand there and play the victim. If you can honestly tell me that nothing we have matters enough to you to try to work things out, then you can get out right now," she said, extending her arm and pointing to the door.

Silently he walked past her and out the door into the bedroom. Pausing near the door, he stooped to pick something off of the floor. He smiled to himself at the shattered image, and then turned to face her.

"What a great day that was," he reminisced.

Confused, she nodded.

He smiled forlornly at her. "Should have known it was too good to last."

Before she could protest, he was out the door and down the hall.

James and Lily were curled up on the couch. James was rubbing Lily's feet while she tried to concentrate on her new Charms textbook. At the sound of feet descending the stairs, they both craned their necks to see who it was.

"Padfoot?" James called out.

Sirius stopped in the archway of the parlor.

"How'd it go?"

"I don't really want to talk about it," he said shortly. "Let's just say, it didn't go as I planned."

He turned to leave the salon, but quickly wheeled around and studied Lily intently.

"Did you know?" he asked her.

"About what?" she replied nervously.

"Never mind, I can see it in your face. Thanks for keeping me on top of the situation." Sirius said sourly.

"It wasn't my place to tell you, Sirius. Any of it," Lily said pointedly.

"What in the hell are you two talking about?" James said, practically bursting with curiosity.

"Where are Remus and Nicolette?" Sirius asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Off shagging somewhere, which is all they do nowadays, I assure you. But are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"Speaking of shagging," Sirius said bitterly.

"What?" James said, close to bursting.

"Noelle shagged Snape." Sirius said angrily, wanting to be sick all over again.

"No fucking way. You're lying." James said.

"Do I look like I'm lying? And would I joke about something that disgusting?"

James whipped his head around to look at Lily, who was suddenly very interested with the embroidery on the couch pillow.

"You knew about this?" he asked.

"Mmm-hmm." Lily murmured.

"You did?"

"Of course I did, I'm her best friend."

"That's just wrong." James said.

Sirius snorted. "Understatement of the year, Prongs."

Lily gazed at Sirius skeptically.

"You're taking this awfully well, Sirius. I would have thought you'd be halfway to Snape's house to kill him by now."

Sirius glared at her.

"Where do you think I was going when you guys stopped me?"

Lily rolled her eyes.

"No, I don't think that's it." She tilted her head. "I think that a little rumor that I heard last year might just be true."

Sirius' grey eyes went wide.

"What rumor?" he asked nervously.

"A Hufflepuff rumor. You do know that girls have locker room talk too, don't you?" she said wryly. "I didn't give much credence to it, considering the source, but maybe I should have."

Sirius opened his mouth to defend himself, but shut it quickly when Noelle entered the room. She was deathly pale and in her trembling hand she held a single sheaf of parchment.

"What's the matter, Noelle?" Lily asked, rising to her feet.

With dead eyes, Noelle looked at her best friend.

"Is it Olivier again?" Lily asked in a whisper.

"No. It is from my father." She glanced down at the letter in her hand. "My mother is very ill. The healers say she won't last the night."

She swallowed and tried to keep her voice even.

"Father says she's been asking for me for days. She's been sick for days, and he writes to me now! How could he do that?" she cried.

"I guess that when you said you were out, he took it literally." Sirius said gently.

Noelle stared at him as if he were a stranger.

"I need to go to her, tonight," she said, her accent thick.

Sirius touched her elbow.

"I'll come with you if you want."

She gave a small laugh.

"You wanted out, Sirius. I'm taking that literally."

She nodded at Lily and James and rushed from the parlor to pack her trunk.


	10. Chapter 10 Flowers and Candles

**Chapter 10**

Noelle tried desperately to keep her tears inside as she threw robes and shoes haphazardly into her open trunk. She paused to wipe her cheeks dry and continued packing as much as she could. Blowing air out between her lips, she shut the lid and latched it firmly. Taking her wand in her hand, she shrunk her trunk and turned for the door.

James stood in the doorway with his arms folded over his chest.

"You can't just leave like this," he stated.

Noelle raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I can James. I need to go to my family," she replied as she pushed her hair from her face.

James pushed himself away from the door frame and came into the room with his face set.

"No, before you go, you have some explaining to do. How could you do that to him? And how could you expect Lily to keep your secrets? Sirius is right, you are selfish."

"How can you expect me to discuss this right now? My mother is dying! I need to go to her!"

"I trusted you Noelle. Even I kept your secrets."

Noelle laughed incredulously.

"What secret have you kept of mine?"

"The fact that you're writing to Olivier. And that you went to see him. I heard you guys talking about him. You don't care about Sirius or any of us for that matter."

Noelle sighed tiredly.

"You don't know what you're talking about, as usual James."

"I know exactly what I'm talking about. How can you go to a family that has all but deserted you? They don't care if you live or die, so why do you care about them?"

Stunned into silence by the brutal truth of James' words, Noelle's jaw dropped. She couldn't think of a single thing to say to disavow what he had said. It was true; no one in her family had even made any attempt to contact her since last summer. Why was she so desperate to return to a family that obviously didn't care about her? She thought very carefully before speaking.

"My family may not care about me, but she's my mother James, and she's dying! I cannot ignore her wish to see me. Can't you understand that?" she pleaded.

"No, I can't." he said bluntly.

"I cannot be like them, I can't! I can't shut my feelings off and on like my father can. She needs me James; she's all I have left." Noelle was nearly hysterical.

"She's all you have left? What about the two girls that have supported you emotionally in the past three years? What about the guy that you claim to love so much? You've had us, and you'll still have us, but I beg you, please don't leave like this. Don't leave in an argument with Sirius."

"He wants out, James. He told me," she said dully.

"He doesn't know what he wants and neither do you. At least talk to him again before you go. Don't do anything rash," he warned.

"Rash?" Noelle asked incredulously. "How can you call me rash? He's the one who overreacts to everything. He's so high strung; I have to walk on eggshells when he's in a bad mood. I can never tell when he will lose control."

"You don't think he was justified in losing it upstairs? Come on, Noelle, he had every right to be angry."

Noelle's eyes widened.

"He told you? I don't believe it!" she seethed. "Is nothing sacred between you guys?"

James sighed heavily.

"Yeah, he told us, but only because he was upset. Just don't throw everything you have away because you had a fight. It's not the right thing to do."

Noelle rubbed her temples. Her head was killing her and she could barely concentrate on keeping her eyes open.

"Okay, James. I will think deeply about it. But I must leave, right now."

She picked up her trunk and slipped it into the pocket of her robes. Looking over her shoulder, she gave James a small smile.

"I'll see you soon. And I'll write to let you guys know what's going on, I promise."

Reluctantly, James nodded. With her head down, she headed for the stairway.

Once in the foyer, Noelle was satisfied that no one was around. She tugged at her robes until they hung correctly and glanced in the mirror to make sure her hair was pinned up neatly. From the archway leading to the front parlor, Sirius watched her silently.

"Noelle," he said quietly, causing her to whip around in surprise.

"I have to go Sirius. I don't have time to argue right now."

He shook his head.

"I don't want to argue. I just want you to know that I'll be thinking about you while you're gone."

"Thank you. But I really must be going."

Sirius nodded and walked slowly to where she was standing.

"I really hate fighting with you Noelle," he murmured.

"I hate fighting too, Sirius, but I'm not ready to apologize, or forgive. You said so many hurtful things to me, and I can't just ignore them. I need to concentrate on my mother."

Sirius nodded again.

"I understand. Travel safe," he said, stepping back slightly.

Feeling slightly suspicious, she smiled uneasily at him before she Apparated to her house in Cannes.

James held Lily's hand tightly in his own as they walked peacefully through the rose garden. The scent of the flowers was heavy in the air, and Lily inhaled deeply.

"Do you think that Sirius and Noelle will work things out?" Lily suddenly asked.

James shrugged.

"I don't know, Lil. They're both pretty angry at each other."

Lily nodded thoughtfully.

"But they love each other right? Isn't love all you need?" Lily questioned playfully.

"Nah, I think you need a little smut in there too," James replied with a wicked grin.

Lily whacked him gently on the shoulder.

"Only a guy would think of something like that. I was trying to be romantic." Lily protested.

"Oh, so you want romantic?" James teased.

"What girl doesn't want romance?" Lily replied.

"I think all girls want romance, even if they think they don't."

Lily smiled in agreement.

"Speaking of romance, can I show you something?" James asked.

"Of course." Lily said agreeably.

Hoping he wasn't being overly forward, he began to lead her to a small cottage that she had never seen before. At the front door, he pulled a small key out of his pocket, and unlocked it.

"What is this place?" Lily cried in delight as she entered the quaint house.

"It's mine, or it will be mine when I graduate. My parents said that I can live here whenever I want, even if it's just on weekends."

"It's gorgeous!" Lily exclaimed. She ran her hand over the soft pale green fabric of one of the sofas.

"Want to see upstairs?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure," she said eagerly.

He led her up the staircase to the second floor. Pausing outside a door, he whispered a quick incantation.

"What did you say?" Lily asked distractedly.

James shook his head. "Nothing."

He opened the door slowly, and Lily gasped.

The room was done in pale blue and white silks. There was a large picture window that looked out over the expansive grounds. The furniture was white pine and shone like honey. What truly took her breath away were the hundreds of white roses she saw everywhere. There were dozens in vases on the tables, the dressers, and the night stand. Rose petals were strewn about the floor and the coverlet on the bed. The heady scent was intoxicating and she breathed it in slowly. Turning to face James, a small smile crept onto her face.

"James Potter, are you trying to seduce me?"

"Why, is it working?"

She tilted her head and smiled deeper.

"Oh, I almost forgot," James said.

With a flick of his wand, the sheer curtains closed over the windows. With another swish, thousands of tiny white candles appeared, some on the tables with the roses, some on the floor, but most hovering over their heads.

Tears were pooling in Lily's green eyes as she stared at him.

"I promised you flowers and candles, didn't I?" James said softly, moving so he was standing in front of her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he leaned forward to kiss her softly. When their lips met, Lily groaned in anticipation. James teased her with his lips, kissing her softly on the mouth, the cheek, and slowly moving down to her neck. Sucking gently on the soft skin, he felt her dig her fingers into his arms to steady herself.

"Lily, I love you so much," he said, barely able to get the words out.

Lily bowed her head so her face was buried in James' wild black hair. She kissed the top of his head and he stood to his full height.

"Is this what you want?" he asked her softly.

"This is exactly what I want," she answered, staring directly into his hazel eyes.

Picking up her small frame easily, he carried her to the bed. He lay her down on the soft blue coverlet and stared down at her. She smiled and reached for him. They lay together, with their legs entwined, kissing deeply for what seemed like hours. Finally, James couldn't take they way she was rubbing unknowingly against his leg any longer. He pulled away slowly and she gave him a look of confusion.

"Where are you going?" she asked him.

"Do you honestly think I'm going anywhere?" he replied, pulling his shirt over his head.

She had started to answer him, but the sight of his muscular chest silenced her immediately. He moved so his body was slightly over hers, and began to kiss her again. She returned his kisses with an urgency that hadn't been there before. Bringing his hands to her blouse, he started to unbutton her shirt. He pulled the sides of the shirt away, revealing a pale green lace bra. He leaned down and began to trail kisses over her stomach. She felt her body tense at the new sensations that were traveling through her body. She had never been so in tune to how her nerve endings were reacting as she was right now. His fingers were lightly tracing the waistband of her shorts and she was desperate for him to take them off. She was moving around slightly and whimpering under her breath, so James took that as a good sign. He unbuttoned her shorts and slowly began to lower them down her legs. Her panties matched her bra, and he nearly lost control of himself at how beautiful she looked lying against the pillows. Her silky red hair was spread around her face, and her eyes were closed, giving her face a look of total bliss. He pulled the shorts off completely and tossed them to the floor. Lowering himself on top of her, he pressed his body against hers, feeling her instantly respond to the pressure by wrapping her arms around him tightly and burying her face in his neck.

"I love you so much," she whispered against his neck, her breath hot and steamy.

"You're sure, Lily? You're sure you want this?"

She tilted his head up and gazed at him lovingly.

"I want this; want you, more that I've ever wanted anything in my entire life. I love you," she answered, kissing him firmly.

That was enough of an answer. He reached behind her and unclasped her bra, slowly pulling it away from her breasts. A breeze blew the curtains apart slightly and caused her nipples to stiffen, which caused James to become even more aroused. He kissed her neck, caressing her breasts tenderly. She moaned as he brought his lips to her nipples, sucking gently. She cried out as he flicked his tongue over the nub of highly sensitive skin. Running his hands down her sides, he hooked his fingers in the waistband of her panties and removed them smoothly. Now that she was completely naked, he slowed his pace so he could look at her. Her curves were so delicate; her body looked as if it had been carved out of a single piece of ivory. He couldn't resist her any longer. He began to kiss the soft skin on the inside of her knee, lightly massaging the skin behind it. Her head fell back and she sighed happily. Making his way up, he ran his tongue along the inside of her thigh until he reached the place where her legs met. He kept kissing her thigh while he slid his hand so it was cupping her rear. Deciding that it was now or never, he moved over a little to the left. She gasped loudly when she felt his tongue caressing her most intimate place. No one had ever even touched her there, never mind kissed her. She couldn't keep quiet. She moaned loudly as he brought her higher and higher. When he stopped, she brought her head up to protest, but he silenced her with a kiss. Using his fingers where his tongue had just been, she cried out between kisses.

"I can't take it anymore!" she panted.

Placing a hand behind her head, he kissed her deeply as he began to enter her. She cried out sharply at the brief pain, but quickly bit down on her lip, causing him to stop.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked with concern.

She shook her head and kissed him again.

"Don't stop, please, don't stop."

He resumed the back and forth motion, making sure he was going slow enough so that she had time to get used to the new sensations she was experiencing. This however was making it harder and harder for him to control himself. _You're going to wait_, he told himself, trying desperately to think of Qudditch statistics to keep his mind off of the inevitable orgasm. _You're going to make sure her first time is the best it can possibly be._

Within minutes, the unmistakable clenching and lunging of muscles, accompanied by the cries of pleasure coming from Lily brought him back to where he should be. He relaxed his muscles and joined her ecstasy with his own.

He rested his head on her shoulder, trying to steady his breathing. She was quivering in his arms, holding tightly to him as if he were trying to leave.

"I had no idea that that is what it was like," she said shakily.

"That's only the beginning," he said with a smile.

"Now I know why Remus and Nicolette are always disappearing, and why Sirius and Noelle always have those stupid dazed smiles on their faces," she said with a grin.

"You've got a pretty pleased smile on your face too, honey," James said, kissing her on the forehead as he slid off of her.

She smiled in satisfaction and rolled onto her side so she was facing him. He reached for the blanket at the end of the bed and pulled it over them both. She was yawning sleepily as he kissed her again.

"I love you so much," she whispered as she drifted off.

"I love you too," he replied, but she was already asleep, curled safely in his arms.


	11. Chapter 11 Forgiveness and Regrets

**Chapter 11**

Noelle found herself in the foyer of her family's summer home. The halls were silent and dark. She took a deep breath and began to climb the stairs to her parent's suite of rooms. At the top of the stairs, she turned slowly to face her parent's wing. Outside the door of their bedroom, her father was speaking to a healer in a hushed tone of voice. He hadn't noticed her yet, so she took that opportunity to observe his demeanor. He looked haggard and sad, physically and mentally exhausted by the declining health of the only woman he had ever loved. Something in his posture told her that he was no longer the stubborn man he had once been. She cleared her throat delicately, causing both men to turn suddenly.

At first glance, François Lemieux saw no changes in his daughter, but as she moved closer to him, he was stunned to realize that she was now a woman. She carried herself elegantly, with her head held high and her shoulders straight back. He had always thought of Noelle as a pretty child, but now he saw her as a beautiful woman. Her resemblance to her ailing mother was uncanny, and he had to do a double-take as she reached his side.

"Father," she said smoothly, her calm voice hiding the panic that was rising in her chest.

"Noelle, I'm so glad you came," he replied, his voice raspy.

"How's Maman? Is she…" Noelle couldn't finish the sentence.

"She's in the bedroom. Go, I know she's eager to see you."

Bowing her head briefly, she hurried into the room.

Catherine Lemieux was covered with many heavy blankets. Noelle found it hard to believe that her mother could be cold on such a warm summer day. Her eyes were closed and her skin was tinged a faint greenish color. Her cheeks were sunken in and her eyes were surrounded by dark circles. She looked as if she were already dead. Trying desperately to keep her composure, Noelle sank into the chair next to her mother's bed. She carefully took her mother's hand into her own and squeezed it gently. Her mother opened her blue eyes slowly.

"Noelle, ma chére, you are back," she whispered.

"Oui, Maman, of course I came back. I wanted to see you."

Catherine smiled weakly at her daughter.

"Your father hasn't been the same since you've been gone. He didn't mean any of what he said."

Noelle shook her head slightly.

"He never tried to apologize to me. He hasn't made any effort to bring me back into the family."

Catherine's pale eyebrows rose.

"Do you really think he would ever admit that he was wrong? You know your father better than that, chérie."

"Maman, I don't want to talk about him right now. I came because of you. I've missed you very much."

Her mother reached out and stroked her face lightly.

"I've missed you as well. But look at you. You've become so grown up, so mature. What has happened to put such seriousness into your eyes?"

"So much has happened, Maman. I've been living at James' house, with Lily, and Nicolette is there now, too. Sirius gave me a horse for my birthday. Oh, you should see him, Maman. He's beautiful."

Mentioning Sirius' name brought back the memory of their terrible fight. She paused for a moment to regain her composure.

"What is it?" her mother asked.

"I fought with Sirius, just this morning. I did something that I should not have done, and it hurt him deeply. I'm afraid that things will never be the same between us again."

Her mother smiled gently at her.

"Sirius is the boy that was at the ball, n'est-ce pas?"

Noelle nodded.

"I remember him. I remember how he looked at you. He loves you, Noelle. And I can tell by your face that you love him as well. Nothing on this earth will pull you apart. Do not let a disagreement destroy all that you have built with him."

Noelle nodded again, trying her best not to cry.

"I am so tired, chérie. Could you get your father for me?" her mother asked, her voice barely audible.

Noelle nodded and rose. Walking to the door, she looked back over her shoulder at her mother. Catherine's eyes were already closed. Soundlessly, she opened the door to find her father.

* * *

The hallway was abandoned. Quickly, she walked through the halls of the home that she knew so well. When she reached the door of her father's study, she took a deep breath before knocking softly.

"Entré."

She slowly opened the door and slipped inside. Her father was seated behind his wide oak desk, with his chair facing out onto the darkened grounds. The windows were open slightly and she could hear the surf pounding on the shore. François Lemieux was staring blankly out the window, holding a glass of brandy in his left hand.

"Father, Maman wants to see you." Noelle said softly.

Silently he lifted the glass to his lips and took a swallow. Noelle moved closer to him.

"Father, Maman wants to see you," she repeated.

She could see that his cheeks were wet and streaked with tears. He looked almost like a statue; he was so very still. Noelle shook her head and gave up. As she was turning to leave the room, he finally spoke.

"Have I driven you away completely, daughter?" he asked.

She turned back to face him.

"You told me I was no longer a part of this family. It was your decision. I was merely obeying your command."

"I didn't mean it. I was scared of losing you, and now I have. I'm losing your mother, and I'll be alone."

"Father, you wouldn't let me grow up. You didn't know how to let go."

"I was trying to keep you alive and well. It was the only way I knew how."

"What was the only way? To keep me isolated? To take me away from all of my friends? I know what you said to Olivier, Father. You told him to let me go. You let me believe that he didn't love me anymore!"

Noelle crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her chin.

"You let me think that no one would ever want to be with me if they knew that I was dying. You told me I had to be fair to him. What about me? Didn't I deserve to be happy? You sent me off to live in a strange country and made me promise that I wouldn't let anyone get close to me. I failed, Father. I failed dismally."

"I never wanted you to be alone; I just wanted to protect you. I didn't want you to feel the pain and agony of losing someone."

"I didn't need you to protect me; I needed you to support me. Ever since I was diagnosed, you've treated me as if they've already signed my death certificate. I'm still alive, Father! There's a good chance that I will live a normal life, and not die so young!"

Her father sat up straight and swung his chair around to face her fully.

"What are you talking about?" he asked hopefully.

"One of my friends at Hogwarts is amazing at Potions. He concocted a potion that stops my attacks immediately. I haven't had an attack in weeks, not until this morning."

"Why? What happened this morning?" he asked.

Noelle sank into the chair that she always had occupied when she came to talk to her father. It enveloped her like the embrace of an old friend, and instantly she felt more at home.

"Well, it wasn't a complete attack; it was more like a warning sign. Do you remember Sirius?"

"That boy that crashed the Ball? How could I forget him?"

"Never mind that. Well, we've been seeing each other, and Papa, I love him, I truly do. But I had to meet his parents last night, and they were incredibly rude to me. They don't think that I'm good enough for him, but the truth is, they don't think that he's good enough to be a Black."

"Wait, he's a Black? As in the son of Alistair and Lavinia Black?"

Noelle nodded.

"Noelle, they are very Dark wizards."

"Yes, I figured that out rather quickly. He's not like them, Papa, I swear he's not. Anyways, they were rude to me, he didn't defend me all that much, and we Apparated back to the Potter's straight away. Once we arrived, we got into a terrible row, and said some awful things to each other. He left the house and I don't know if we'll ever be able to work things out."

She raised her navy eyes to stare at him, desperately wanting reassurance that every couple fought, over much worse things and that they would soon work everything out.

François bit his tongue, not wanting to drive his daughter away again after she had confided to him. He thought very carefully before he spoke.

"I wish I could tell you that everything will be alright, but I don't know that, chérie. Your mother is much better at that than I am."

Noelle's mind raced.

"Is Mother a Seer? Is she?"

He sighed heavily.

"Not exactly. She is prone to premonitions, but she's never been what you would call a true Seer."

"Why didn't anyone ever tell me?" Noelle asked.

"Because, if you knew that the power of premonition was in your blood, you would have been anxious for it to take over, which would have blocked the power all together. By not knowing, you left yourself open to the idea that you could possibly see the future. Have you?" he asked.

"I think so, but Severus told me it was because of the wormwood oil that he uses in my potion."

"It is possible that the oil triggered a premonition. What did you see?"

"I saw…I saw my wedding day. But I wasn't happy, I was sad."

"It is probably nothing, Noelle. Your mother never put much faith into what she saw."

Noelle nodded, slowly digesting what her father had just told her.

"Shall we?" he asked, crooking his elbow to walk down the hall with her.

At the door to her mother's room, her father kissed her briefly on the forehead, taking her by surprise. With a sad smile, he opened the door.

"Catherine, chére. How are you feeling?" he asked clearly.

Her mother opened her eyes with lids that appeared to be extremely heavy. Noelle hadn't thought that she could look any worse than she had when she had first seen her, but she was wrong.

"François, Noelle. Come sit. I would like to speak with you both."

Noelle returned to the seat she had been in before and her father sat in one on the other side of the bed. Catherine took a hand from each of them in her own.

"It has been far too long since we have been a true family. I'm glad that you have returned to us Noelle."

Noelle smiled sadly and squeezed her mother's hand.

"I'm sorry it was for a reason like this, Maman."

"Shh, Noelle. I am dying, and that is all. We will all do it eventually. I'm just a little ahead of schedule."

Catherine closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath.

"I know that you will be fine, chére. I know that you're much healthier than you were. You will be happy, even though it seems impossible now. But take care of your father. He'll need you now. Don't let his stubbornness fool you. Deep down he is a kind man, who loves you very much."

"François, I have loved you since I was a girl, and I have never not loved you. I only wish that Noelle one day has what we have had. Don't be afraid to love again, should it arise."

By this time, tears were falling freely from both Noelle and her father's eyes.

"Maman, you can't leave yet, I haven't had a chance to tell you…"

"About your potion? Oui, chére, I already know. Make sure you give him a kiss from your ever grateful mother."

Sensing the end was closing in, Noelle pressed her mother's hand to her lips while her father leaned forward to whisper in his wife's ear. Whatever he was telling her put a smile on her face and she nodded slightly.

"Je vous aime les deux très beaucoup."

Noelle's eyes became very wide as she heard her mother say these last words.

"No, Maman, not yet, please, not yet," she cried.

It was too late. From the other side of the bed she could hear her father weeping softly into his late wife's blonde hair. Standing so fast she knocked her chair over, Noelle backed away from the bed. Turning on her heels, she fled the room, ignoring her father's calls for her to return.

* * *

Once she was on the beach, she stared out at the water. Picking up a stone, she flung it at the waves.

"I wasn't ready to let her go!" she screamed.

Still the waves crashed onto the shore, covering her feet with the tepid water of the Mediterranean Sea. She collapsed onto the wet sand and cried. Part of her hoped that Sirius would come over the dunes to take her into his arms and comfort her, but no one came. After the tide had eddied around her prostrate body for over an hour, she picked herself up and trudged towards the main house. Her father was in the kitchen, sipping out of a steaming mug. When he saw Noelle enter the house through the back door, he conjured another mug and pulled out a chair for her. He summoned a towel from the hall closet and she began to rub her arms and legs dry. Taking a sip from the mug in front of her, her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"It's brandy. I thought you might need it."

Gratefully, she took a longer sip. The brandy shot like fire down her throat, instantly warming her.

"The funeral will be the day after tomorrow. Will you be able to attend?" her father asked, his voice lifeless.

"Of course Papa. I'm not going anywhere."

"What's this I hear about a wedding? Nicky's getting married?" her father asked.

Seeing that her father needed to talk about something other than her mother, she nodded.

"Oui, her parents have selected someone for her, just as they did for Antoinette and Danielle. He's German, and he's about 13 years older than her. She's miserable, but her father won't hear of calling the wedding off."

"I'm sure he's doing what he thinks is best for her."

"What's best for her is for her to at least finish school. Did you know that he's pulling her out of Beauxbatons? And that she's never even met this man?"

Her father frowned.

"That's not right. She should finish school."

Noelle nodded in agreement, taking another sip from her mug.

"Worst of all is, she's in love with one of my friends. And he loves her too. But there's no way her parents would even consider letting her date Remus. He's not high enough on the social scale." Noelle said with disgust.

"At least I have never arranged a marriage for you, chére."

"Thank God for that," she said with a small smile.

"You look so much like your mother, especially now that you have grown. It's almost hard to look at you, without thinking of her."

Noelle slid out of her seat and went to her father. Tentatively, she put her arms around him and hugged him. He returned her hug more forcefully that she had thought. He started to weep as she rubbed his back.

"I loved her so much. I thought we'd have more time."

"What happened, Papa? I never even knew she was sick."

"It was cancer. They found it about six months ago. They told us a year or more, but they couldn't be sure. After she found out, she just gave up. She stopped going to state dinners with me, and insisted that we move down here. She said the pollution in Paris would kill her quicker. I should not have listened to her; I should have kept her in Paris."

"Papa, she was happiest when we were here. She always loved this house, and it's not like you didn't have the best healers here for her. You did everything you could; it's not your fault."

"I just wish I could have done more," he said sadly.

Noelle held him tighter until he had stopped crying. He sighed heavily and stood.

"I need to rest."

She nodded and watched him wobble to the stairs. He looked more than slightly drunk, but she figured that he was entitled to it. With tears in her own eyes, she put the mugs into the sink and climbed the stairs to her own bedroom.

* * *

Nothing in the pale blue chamber had been touched since the day she left. Something in her heart warmed as she took in the familiar surroundings. She slowly walked from photo to photo, smiling at most pictures, but crying at others. There were so many pictures of her parents. Her mother had been so beautiful. Noelle sank onto her oval bed, trying to stop crying. She pulled her wand out of her robes. Realizing that she was still wet and sandy, she unclasped them and let them fall to the floor. She enlarged her trunk and flicked her wrist. The trunk opened and her clothes sailed by her, finding their proper places in the closet and dressers. She took a pair of pajama pants out of her top drawer along with a tank top and put them on. Crawling over her bed, she pulled the covers over her shivering body. She summoned a quill and parchment, and set out to write a very difficult letter.

_Dear Sirius, James and Lily, Remus and Nicky, _

_Mother died this evening. I'm staying in Cannes to help my father with the funeral. I think it best if I attend it alone. I don't think I'll be returning to Manchester before school begins. James, please thank your parents for all of their hospitality. _

_All of my love, _

_Noelle_

She reread her letter, wondering if she should write more. She did think it was best if her friends stayed in Manchester and didn't attend the services. She wanted time to mourn her mother with her father, and not have to worry about having houseguests. She hoped they would understand and not think her rude. She folded the parchment carefully and whistled for Etoile. The owl sailed to her shoulder and she attached the letter to his leg. Without a sound, he soared out of her window towards England.

The fatigue that had claimed her father threatened to take her over next. She yawned hugely, and sank back onto the large pillows. Knowing that the next few days would be horrible, she surrendered to the healing power of sleep.


	12. Chapter 12 Say Goodbye

**Chapter 12**

Sirius swallowed a lump as he watched Etoile soar into the open window of the observatory in James' house. He reached up and detached the parchment from the owl's leg.

"Stay with me awhile," he asked the owl as he unrolled the letter. As he read the words, he could feel the grief pouring from Noelle's handwriting. "What does she mean; she thinks it best that we not come? We're her friends, she needs us."

Etoile hooted softly and fluttered his wings. Sirius stood and stretched his long legs. Wiping a hand across his face, he opened the door and slowly went down the stairs to find his other friends.

Lily and James were reclining on lounge chairs on the patio when he opened the French doors. Lily immediately sat upright when she saw the look on Sirius' face.

"Noelle's mother?" she questioned.

Sirius shook his head and Lily's emerald eyes filled with tears. James covered her hand with his own.

"When are the services?" James asked as he rubbed Lily's fingers.

"Doesn't matter, Prongs. She doesn't want us there." Sirius replied shortly.

"What do you mean?"

Sirius shoved the parchment at him so he could read it himself.

"And she's staying in Cannes for the rest of the summer? Did her father brainwash her or something?" James asked incredulously.

"I think maybe she's trying to reconcile with him. After all, she's all he has left." Lily said wisely.

Sirius stared at her.

"All she has left? What are we, non existent? Lily, the man is an ass. He treated her terribly. You of all people know that!" he thundered at her.

"Don't yell at me, Sirius. I'm just saying that grief like this makes you realize how precious life is. You can't hold that against her." Lily argued.

"Enough, it's too damn hot for this crap." James said irritably. "It doesn't matter what any of us think. It's Noelle's decision."

Sirius pouted and turned away for a moment.

"Hey, have you seen Remus and Nicky? They would want to know about Noelle's mother, wouldn't they?" Sirius said.

Wordlessly James pointed outside.

"They're in the garden. Make sure you make some noise as you're coming up to them, so they have time to get decent." James joked.

Sirius rolled his eyes and headed out the French doors that led to the garden. Before he even made it to the gateway, he could hear Nicolette crying.

"Shh, Nicky, it's alright. We'll think of something, I swear," Remus said softly into her ear.

"Non, this is it, my life is over!" Nicolette wailed as she sobbed into Remus' shoulder.

Remus spotted Sirius at the entrance to the gardens and motioned him inside.

"Sorry guys, but I thought you'd like to know that Noelle's mother passed away last night." Sirius mumbled quickly.

Fresh tears filled Nicolette's eyes and her hand went to her mouth.

"Oh, no, poor Noelle! How is she doing?"

Sirius shrugged.

"Beats me, I just got the letter. She doesn't want any of us at the funeral; she doesn't think it's a good idea."

Nicolette's dark eyes became darker.

"I have to return to France tomorrow anyways. I'm sure that my family will attend."

Sirius raised his eyebrow.

"Why are you going back? Beauxbatons starts at the same time as Hogwarts, right?" Sirius questioned.

"I will not be returning to Beauxbatons," she replied woodenly.

Remus ducked his head, and Sirius could tell that he was trying to hide his eyes.

"Why not?" Sirius had to ask.

"Because I am to be married next week, and there is no longer a need for me to continue my education."

Sirius' eyebrows shot to his hairline.

"Married? Remus, why didn't you tell us?"

Remus gave him a withering look.

"Not to me, you jackass. She's marrying some German wizard." Remus choked out.

"Oh my Lord. I'm sorry Nicky, I didn't know." Sirius said softly.

Nicolette gave a loud sniff.

"I know you didn't, and it's okay. But I'll see Noelle tomorrow. Is there anything you want me to tell her?" Nicolette asked.

Sirius thought for a moment.

"Tell her I'm sorry about her mother, tell her…never mind. If I gave you something, could you give it to her?" he asked quickly.

Slightly confused, Nicolette nodded. Sirius smiled widely and turned to hurry back to his room.

"Give me a minute or two, alright?" he called over his shoulder.

Nicolette nodded and turned back to Remus.

"I can't do it, Remus. I will not go through with it," she said in a strangled voice.

Remus took her hands in his own.

"I can give you nothing, Nicky. I have nothing to offer."

Nicolette smiled at him.

"You give me love. That's all I want."

Remus wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her dark brown hair.

"I'll always give you that," he whispered softly.

Sirius was hunched over the desk in the room that he shared with James and Remus. His hand flew across the parchment as he composed a letter to Noelle.

_Dear Noelle, _

_I'm so sorry about your mother. I'm sorry that we're fighting. I'm sorry about a lot of things. Noelle, I love you so much. I hate not having you here, and I hate knowing that you're upset with me. _

_I don't care what happened in the past. We can get over anything, as long as we have each other. We've both made mistakes, but I'm willing to put it all behind us. The love I have for you is far too strong to let it fall apart. I believe in you Noelle, and I believe in us. You're all I have, and you mean the world to me. Please think about it. I love you._

_Sirius_

He quickly rolled the parchment and sealed it with a gob of wax. Thundering down the stairs, he placed it in Nicolette's hand.

"Make sure she gets this. Please," he asked her.

Wordlessly, Nicolette nodded and laid her hand on his arm.

"Don't worry, I will."

* * *

Noelle tugged uncomfortably at the long black robes she wore. Black was not a color that one wore in the South of France during August. She was already sweating when she heard her father calling her name from downstairs. Once she reached the foyer, she saw her father waiting for her, looking up at her as he had done on so many occasions before. Only this time, she was alone. Her mother would never descend these stairs alongside her again. She would never choose beautiful robes and gowns for them to wear to state functions. The raw agony she saw in her fathers eyes tore her up inside. She choked back a sob and with her head down, took her place at his side.

The limousine that the Ministry had provided idled in the circular driveway of her home. Ducking her head, she slid inside. It was stifling hot. With a shifty glance around, she pulled out her wand and performed a cooling charm inside the car. The air instantly became much chillier, and her father gave her a warning look. She knew that he hated wizards to use magic in public, but even he looked grateful for the cool air circulating around his face.

The car motored smoothly to the large cathedral where the funeral was being held. Noelle's eyes widened when she saw how many people had come to pay their respects to her mother. She shook her head slightly.

"What's the matter, Noelle?" her father asked.

"I can't do it, Papa. I can't get out, and listen to the priest say meaningless things. It won't help, and I don't want to hear it."

Her father sighed.

"Chérie, I know you don't want to, but you must. Your mother would want you to show a strong front. You know she would."

Shaking her head again, Noelle began to climb out of the car. Straightening herself, she gazed at the throngs of people who lined the stone pathway to the ancient church. She saw Nicolette with her family, including her sisters with their husbands. Several of her school friends from Beauxbatons were also in attendance. She smiled sadly at them, surprisingly grateful for their presence.

As her father exited the car, she slid her hand into the crook of his elbow. The rosewood casket that contained the body of her mother was waiting just ahead of them. Taking a deep breath and trying to steady her shaking knees, she lifted her chin and put a blank expression on her pale face. She focused her eyes on the large spray of pink roses that covered the top of the casket and began the long walk to the church.

At the doors, her stony gaze broke when she saw Antoine stoically holding his mother's arm. Colette Roussard had attended Beauxbatons with Catherine Lemieux and they had been the best of friends. Colette was shaking and sobbing, inconsolable at the loss of her best friend. Noelle left her father's side and embraced the grieving woman. She hugged her tightly and let her cry into her dark blonde hair for a moment. Noelle then stepped back, and patted Colette on the shoulder. She resumed her place next to her father and entered the church.

The service was long and mostly impersonal. The priest spoke respectfully of Catherine, but one could tell that he hadn't known her. Noelle let her mind wander to memories of her childhood.

_It was her first time on a horse. Her mother was so young and so alive, with her pale blonde hair tightly woven into a long braid. _

"_N'avez pas le peur, chérie. He will not hurt you," her mother called out in her lilting voice. _

_Noelle tightly gripped the leather reins in her hands, wanting desperately to grab hold of the chocolate brown mane, but she knew her mother wouldn't like that. She willed her eyes to stay open, and for her rear to stay firmly in the saddle._

"_Just press lightly with your legs behind the girth. He will speed up and start to trot. Just stand up in the stirrups and sit down in rhythm to his hoof beats. That's posting, chérie. You can do it, I'm sure of it."_

_Noelle swallowed and obeyed her mother. Sure enough, the horse picked up his speed and she began to do as her mother told her. _

"_Maman! Regarde-moi!" she called out._

_Her mother clapped happily and laughed, cheering her on as she circled the ring. _

Noelle swallowed the huge lump that had grown in her throat. Opening her eyes, she saw that the mass had ended and everyone was waiting for them to lead the procession out of the church. Rising unsteadily, she took her father's arm again to follow the casket.

The cemetery was quiet and peaceful. The priest waited for everyone to take their places around the open grave. Noelle took her seat next to her father and sat very straight in her chair.

_Her mother was standing behind her, bobby pins stuck in her mouth. _

_"Maman, are you almost done?" Noelle moaned._

_"Be patient, Noelle. After all, a woman must suffer some to be beautiful." _

_"Am I really beautiful, Maman?" Noelle asked quietly. _

_"Of course you are, darling. Now just be still." _

_She pushed a few more pins into the elaborate mass of curls that she had transformed her daughter's long hair into. _

_"Voila! All done!" she exclaimed, standing back to admire her work. _

_Noelle turned her head to both sides, speechless at her mother's talent with hair. Impulsively she hugged her._

_"Do you think he'll like it?" Noelle asked nervously._

_"He'd be a fool not to."_

_Catherine's face took on a serious expression. _

_"Do you care for him deeply, daughter?"_

_Noelle thought for a moment. _

_"I do."_

_"Then be careful. Don't throw your love around. Be picky, be stingy. Make him work for it."_

_Noelle's mind raced. Could her mother see what she was thinking? She wondered. Her cheeks flushed pink and her navy eyes sparkled. _

_"I was wrong when I said you were beautiful, Noelle. You are stunning." Catherine said with tears in her eyes. "Now, go have fun. Remember what I said. Make him long for you, chérie."_

Noelle smiled at the memory of getting ready for her first official date with Olivier. They had been secretly seeing each other for a few months, until Marie saw them kissing in the garden and let it slip to her mother. Catherine, knowing her husband's temper, had come to her daughter's rescue, casually bringing up the fact that Marcel Roussard's son was a fine match for their daughter. François, thinking that it may indeed be, had brought it up to his long time friend. Before she knew it, their relationship was approved by both sets of parents. The priest began to make his closing statements, ripping her back to the present.

"And so we commit this woman to the earth. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. Remember Catherine Monique Lemieux, whom we have loved."

Beside her, she sensed her father sobbing. The casket was lowered slowly into the ground. Noelle felt her knees beginning to give way. She turned to ask her father for assistance, but never got the chance. With a strange smile on her face, she wobbled and melted to the ground.

She came to in the back of the limousine with a damp cloth over her hot forehead. She blinked her eyes once or twice, thinking she was seeing a vision before her.

"Olivier?"


	13. Chapter 13 In the Maze

**Chapter 13**

Noelle squinted into the bright sunlight, not trusting her eyes to tell her brain who was standing there. But her eyes weren't telling lies. Olivier stood before her, the sun flaming around his hair like a halo.

"Ça va?" he asked quietly as he rubbed her hands softly in his own.

Noelle stared at him in bewilderment before quickly yanking her hands from his grasp.

"Are you serious?" she asked him.

He smiled sadly. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked as if he hadn't slept very well in days.

"I just didn't know what else to ask you," he confessed.

"I'm fine, thank you," she responded as she looked over his shoulder for her father.

Seeing that his daughter had regained consciousness, François ordered the driver to bring them back to the villa. Olivier stepped aside as her father made to get into the car.

"I am sorry for your loss, Monsieur," Olivier said as he extended his hand.

"Thank you, Olivier. I assume you will be coming back to the house with your parents?"

"Oui, bien sur. We will be there shortly."

François nodded.

"Bon."

He slid into the car next to his daughter, deliberately ignoring the horrified look on her face until he could bear it no longer.

"What is it now, Noelle?" he asked impatiently.

"How could you invite him back to the house? I don't want to see him!" she exclaimed.

"Then you can stay in your room. He is the son of one of my oldest friends, therefore he is my guest."

Noelle's mouth dropped in surprise, but she knew there was no arguing with her father. Crossing her arms over her chest, she sat back in her seat and pouted.

"I really thought you could handle this with a little more maturity, Noelle. I'm surprised at you."

Noelle pasted a smile on.

"I'm sorry, Papa. I overreacted. I can handle it."

Her father patted her hand distractedly.

"That's my girl."

Noelle seethed in the corner of the back seat on the short ride back to the villa. _How could he do this to me? I don't want Olivier to be here, I want Sirius_, she thought to herself. The car drew to a halt in front of the large oak double doors and she opened the door before the chauffeur was even out of the front seat. She hurried up the white marble steps, heading to her room to change out of the sweltering robes. She flung open her door and slammed it quickly shut behind her. Leaning back against the solid wood, she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

_There was music. Soft, romantic music that she had definitely heard before. She looked up and was stunned to find herself in the cathedral that she had just left. Squinting to see better, she strained to get a glimpse at the altar. There were two well dressed handsome young men lining the left side of the altar, while on the right side there was no one. She swiveled her head around quickly. She saw herself, but she was slightly older. Her navy eyes were dead and she was very pale. She was dressed in the same elegant white gown that she had been in her first vision. Her father was at her side. She saw herself trying to speak, but not finding any words. _

_"Shh, Noelle, that's enough. We've talked about this, it is the right thing to do, the only thing to do. He never has to know about your, indiscretion, shall we put it?"_

_Noelle shook her head in confusion. "Why must I do this, Father?" she whispered tearfully._

_Her father shook her by the arm. _

_"I refuse to speak of it again. He has offered to make an honest woman of you, daughter, I suggest you shut your mouth and get on with it."_

_Noelle gasped as she saw her father take her older self by the elbow and pulled her to the doorway. He was practically dragging her up the aisle. She could hear herself smothering sobs behind the long white veil. She reached out to touch herself, but was violently ripped back to the present. _

Someone was knocking at her door.

"What?" she snapped angrily as she flung it open.

"Sorry, just wanted to see you," Nicolette said as she stepped back from the force of Noelle's fury.

Noelle instantly softened.

"I'm sorry, Nicky, I was just, well, I wasn't with it just then," she said apologetically.

Nicolette smiled sadly.

"I wouldn't expect you to be with it right now, Noelle. How are you holding up?" she questioned.

Noelle pasted on a smile.

"I'm fine, really I am. She's in a better place now, and she's not in pain any more. It's for the best, really."

Nicolette eyed her warily, but Noelle, being the master of illusions that she was, managed to keep her facial expression calm and serene.

"I just wanted to change my robes, and then I'll be down," Noelle said with a smile.

Still not entirely sure that she should leave; Nicolette stepped out of the room.

"See you in a bit then," she said, but Noelle's door was already closing.

Remembering the scroll in the pocket of her robes, Nicolette pushed the door back open. Noelle looked at her questioningly.

"Here," she said, thrusting the parchment into Noelle's hands.

"What is this?" Noelle asked, not looking at the writing on the outside.

"It's from Sirius. He wanted me to give it to you,"

Noelle swallowed and slipped her finger under the wax blob that was sealing the scroll. She didn't even hear Nicolette leave the room for a second time as she sat down to read.

Tears came to her eyes as she stared at his handwriting. She could practically hear him speaking the words on the page. She closed her eyes tightly, thinking of his face, his voice, wishing that she hadn't betrayed him. Shaking her head to clear it, she folded the letter carefully and stuck it between two books on her bookcase. Wiping her eyes quickly, she reached into her wardrobe to find suitable robes. A set of rose silk robes touched her hand. She pulled them out, remembering that her mother had always loved seeing her in pink. Noelle had preferred any shade of blue to pink, but had grudgingly agreed to these robes. With a start, she realized she had never worn these robes. Holding the robes against her body, she smiled. Her mother had been right. She did look good in pink.

Once she had changed into the pink robes and washed the tear stains from her face, she began to make her way to the west salon where her father was greeting the mourners. She hurried to take her place at his side, shaking many hands of people she didn't know, and embracing the few she did. After an hour of this, the strain of holding herself together was taking its toll. She excused herself from her father and hurried out the side door, disappearing into the gardens. Olivier, who had been watching her from the far side of the room, saw her exit. Biting nervously on his lower lip, he quickly ducked out of the room to leave through another side door.

Noelle walked quickly through the garden until she reached the tall hedges of the maze. Glancing surreptitiously over her shoulder, she entered the cool shadows. In the very middle of the maze was a tall fountain. The cool water flowed from the hand of a beautiful marble fairy. She was holding a water lily in her hand, leaning over as if she was blowing a kiss to someone unseen. The water tumbled down and into a large blue glazed basin. Noelle sat on the side on the white marble fountain, lazily trailing her hand in the clear water. She heard what sounded like shuffling footsteps on the other side of a hedge wall. Whipping out her wand, she pointed it at the sound.

"Indiquez-vous," she said calmly, still aiming her wand at the hedge.

Blushing a bright red, Olivier stepped out of the corridor of the maze.

Taken aback, Noelle gasped.

"Qu'est-ce que tu faits ici?" she asked, still pointing her wand at him.

"Noelle, put your wand down. I only want to talk!" he asked her pleadingly.

Reluctantly, she lowered her wand. He moved to take a seat beside her and she quickly put about two feet of space between them.

"Noelle, you are being ridiculous. Stop it!"

She realized how immature she was being and offered him a half smile.

"That's better," he said with a crooked smile. "How are you holding up?"

She opened her mouth to say, "Fine," but the word got stuck in her throat. She couldn't get even a squeak out. She turned to face him.

Her navy eyes were huge and glistening with tears. Her bottom lip was quivering and he could tell she was on the verge of a breakdown. Her mouth opened and closed, but not a sound escaped her lips. Her head moved from side to side and he saw her beginning to grow hysterical.

"I wasn't there," she whispered. "She was sick, and I wasn't there! I didn't know, Olivier! I didn't know she was sick until it was too late!"

Olivier moved a little closer to her, keeping his brown eyes locked on her face. He knew this breakdown was coming, and he wanted to be there when it happened.

"I should have been there, I should have!"

He took her hands in his, tightening his fingers around hers.

"You didn't know chérie. You had no way of knowing how sick she was."

"He should have told me sooner! He should have told me!" Noelle dissolved into the first real tears that she had cried for her mother since she had died. Her sobs wracked her already frail body, causing her to slightly hyperventilate.

"Easy, Noelle. Just cry, chérie, it will be okay. I'm here."

Noelle continued to weep, her hands clutching at Olivier's black robes. He held her tightly, rubbing her back and smoothing her hair.

"I should have been here sooner!" she screamed into his shoulder.

Olivier rocked back and forth with her until her sobs became more controlled and finally ceased all together. She was weak when the tears stopped and could barely lift her head from his shoulder. He pressed his lips to her forehead gently. Noelle lifted her head groggily and gazed deeply into his brown eyes. Olivier, taking this as a sign to continue, did just that.

He lowered his face so his lips were touching hers. He kissed her softly and he felt her lips flutter against his. She was returning his kisses hesitantly, but returning them none the less. He slid his hand around her back to support her weight. Reaching for her face, he ran his other hand through her silken blonde hair. Finding the clasp that held her robes on, he deftly unfastened it. He slid his hand inside of her robes, running it over the warm skin of her shoulder and upper arm. The sun beat down on them as he kissed her deeper and harder. Her arms were around his neck, clutching him to her body tightly, pressing her breasts against his firm chest. She opened her eyes slightly. _What was she doing, kissing Olivier? Was she out of her mind?_ She pulled back.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

She nodded quickly.

"Oui, I am fine. But I should return. My father will be looking for me."

Olivier nodded and got to his feet. He offered her a hand to help her rise. She took it, and the top of her robes fell to her waist. Deeply embarrassed, she grabbed at them and clutched them to her body.

"There's no need to be so shy, Noelle. I have seen you naked before," he commented wryly.

She smiled wanly at him and reached around her neck to fasten her robes. He crooked his elbow and she took his arm to let him lead her back to the house.

Nicolette saw Noelle enter the salon on Olivier's arm. Her jaw dropped in shock as Olivier leaned down and kissed her friend on the cheek. Noelle smiled, but Nicolette could tell she was faking it. She rushed to her side as soon as Olivier went to find his parents.

"Noelle! What was that all about?" she whispered furiously.

Noelle shook her head. "I don't know! One minute, he was consoling me in the garden, the next, he had the top of my robes undone and he was kissing me! I swear, I didn't want it to happen!" she exclaimed.

Nicolette gave her a skeptical look. "Noelle, if you want to be back with Sirius, then you need to stop playing games! His heart is so broken; I doubt it will be put back together so easily."

Noelle raised a blonde eyebrow at her friend.

"Who are you to be giving me advice? Have you been totally honest with Friedrich? Have you told him about Remus?"

Nicolette looked scandalized as Noelle mentioned her husband to be.

"That's not fair Noelle. You know I have no choice."

Noelle softened slightly.

"I know, I'm sorry. But it's hard enough to make a decision without my best friend criticizing me."

"I'm not trying to criticize you, Noelle. But you need to make a commitment. Olivier or Sirius. You can't have both; it's not fair to either of them."

"I don't want Olivier, not when I'm with Sirius. But it's almost like Olivier has some sort of magnetic power. When he's around, my lips are like iron."

Nicolette laughed. "You need to make a choice, Noelle."

Noelle wiped a hand across her face.

"The choice is easy, I choose Sirius. But unfortunately, he is barely speaking to me right now."

"He would have come to the funeral if you had let him. He really wanted to be here."

Noelle shook her head.

"It would have been very uncomfortable for my father, and for Sirius. No, its better that none of them came. They barely knew my mother." Noelle smiled her first genuine smile of the day. "But you are my oldest friend, chérie. Thank you for being here for me."

Nicolette wiped a tear off of her cheek.

"I loved your mother too, Noelle. She was a magnificent woman."

Noelle smiled proudly through her tears.

"She was, wasn't she?"

The two girls embraced, each crying on the others shoulder. When the finally pulled apart, Nicolette wiped her face again.

"Besides, I had to come. I couldn't very well ask you to be my maid of honor by owl, could I?"

Noelle's navy eyes widened.

"Maid of honor? But what about your sisters?"

Nicolette waved a hand dismissively.

"You look much better in gold than they do," she said with a wink.

On a day that she could have sworn would hold no laughter, Noelle laughed right out loud.


	14. Chapter 14 An Appropriate Farewell

**Chapter 14**

The days before Nicky's wedding were hectic and busy. Noelle didn't even have time to think about the loss of her mother. She was going to dress fittings and cake tastings almost every day. When she finally did have a moment to herself, all she wanted to do was sleep. She had a feeling that Nicky and her sisters were trying to keep her as occupied as possible, so she wouldn't dwell on the loss of her mother, but she knew that Nicolette had other reasons. She was keeping her busy so she wouldn't go off with Olivier. Noelle was inwardly grateful for this, realizing that she would never get Sirius back if Olivier was still in the picture.

Her bridesmaid's robes were the palest gold that Nicolette could find. They fit her as if the satin had been poured over her body. They were strapless and had a wide band of a slightly darker gold satin across the top. The hem had the same embellishment. Her flowers were bright yellow roses with solidago interspersed. She was wearing a pair of high gold strappy sandals to make her look even with Friedrich's best man.

Dietrich was Friedrich's younger brother, and he was twenty five years old. He was tall and blonde, with bright blue eyes that matched the sky. When Noelle had first met him, she had liked him instantly. He was as vivacious as Friedrich was serious. He also seemed to be a very talented wizard. He had graduated from Durmstrang as Head Boy, and was currently working in the German Ministry of Magic.

At the engagement dinner, he had toasted Friedrich and Nicolette, wishing them a long happy marriage. As Noelle gazed up at him from her seat next to Nicky, she could see that he was just as worried about this arrangement as she was. After the dinner, he had asked her if she would like to take a walk in the gardens. She had accepted and they had left the dining room together.

He was quick to get to the point.

"Does Nicolette love my brother?" he questioned.

Noelle shook her head slowly.

"No, she doesn't."

"Then why is she marrying him?" Dietrich asked.

"Do you think she has a choice?" Noelle replied incredulously. "She's in love with one of my best friends, but he's not good enough for her family. They'd never allow her to marry him."

"Allow her to marry him? She's seventeen, she doesn't need their permission."

Noelle raised an eyebrow.

"It's not that easy. If she defies them, she'll be disowned completely."

Dietrich still looked skeptical.

"You don't know what it's like, having to obey your parents no matter what they decide," Noelle argued.

"I don't see your father forcing you to marry someone that he has chosen," Dietrich replied with a glint in his eyes.

Noelle paused. "It's different for me. My father and I, we are somewhat estranged. He's already disowned me, and now I can do as I please."

"So why can't Nicolette do the same? What makes you so different?"

"Because she's not as strong as me. She would never be able to stare down her parents they way I did with mine."

"What about your mother? Are you still on speaking terms with her?"

Noelle's heart froze.

"No, I am not...she's dead."

Dietrich softened.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Noelle waved her hand as if to brush away cobwebs.

"It doesn't matter anymore. My father and I have begun to reconcile, but he will never force me to marry someone that I don't love."

Dietrich smiled at her.

"Am I to believe you have already found that someone, Noelle?"

Noelle blushed slightly.

"Oui, I have. But I must ask for his forgiveness now, I've hurt him terribly."

"What is it that you've done? Surely, nothing that he won't forgive quickly." Noelle raised her navy eyes and he could see the pain deep within them.

"I've betrayed him and he has every right not to forgive me. There is nothing that I could say or do to make his anger go away."

Dietrich dropped his arm over her small shoulders comfortingly.

"I'm sure that he finds it as unbearable to be away from you as you do to be away from him."

Noelle glanced at him quizzically.

"How do you know that?" she asked him.

"I can see it in your eyes. And I can see it elsewhere, too. I believe we share the same gift, no?"

Stunned, she could only nod.

"But you've just come into your abilities and powers. In time, you will be able to control them."

She nodded again hesitantly.

"They were my mothers. As she grew weaker, I became aware of them. I'm not sure I want this power," she confessed.

"Don't say that. They may be the best thing that's ever happened to you."

Noelle smiled.

"I've already been very lucky in my life. Sirius is more than any one woman could ask for. He's the other half of my soul."

She paused while she thought of Nicolette.

"Does your brother love Nicky?" she asked.

Dietrich was silent for a moment and Noelle could tell he was thinking hard.

"I think he's in love with the idea of her."

Noelle looked slightly confused, so Dietrich explained further.

"I think that he is in love with the fact that he is marrying a beautiful girl who happens to be a talented witch. I don't think the fact that she may not love him has even occured to him yet."

"She loves my friend very much. It's painful to see them being torn apart."

Dietrich raised an eyebrow.

"And it's painful to watch my brother falling in love with a girl who will never love him as much as he loves her," he said wisely.

Noelle smiled ruefully.

"I never really thought of how your brother might feel," she confessed. "I only thought of Nicky and what she must be going through."

"I feel for her, I really do. But will she be good to my brother? Regardless of how much she loves your friend?"

Noelle smiled softly and laid a hand on his arm.

"Nicky is the kindest person I know. She will do nothing that will cause him harm. I can't promise that she will love him, but she won't be cruel. She'll do what is expected of her."

"Why, when you will not?"

Noelle cocked her head and grinned.

"Because I am the troublemaker, she would never have done anything wrong if it wasn't for me."

Dietrich laughed.

"Somehow, I find that very easy to believe."

* * *

The night before Nicky's wedding, Noelle was in her bedroom making sure she had everything in order for the next days ceremony. She was in the middle of pressing creases from her silk robes when Etoile soared into her bedroom window. The owl unceremoniously dropped an envelope onto her head as he fluttered about the ceiling of her room.

"Thanks alot, cherie," she said sarcastically as she retrieved the envelope from the floor.

She slid her finger under the flap, not recognizing the handwriting.

_Dear Noelle,_

_I need your help. I have to see Nicky one last time before the wedding. You understand. I can't just let her go like that. Please help me. I'll be at my aunt's house, you can owl me there._

_Remus_

She blew air out of her lungs slowly. How could she not help him, when he had been her first confidant? She tapped the letter against her chin as she thought. A plan sprung into her mind fully intact. Bending over her desk, she scribbled her plan on a small piece of parchment and sent Etoile back into the night.She hurried to her closet and changed into Muggle going-out clothes. Once she was fully dressed, she raced out of her room.

"Papa!" she called as she ran through the halls of her home.

"In here, Noelle," he answered from his study.

"I'm going to Nicky's. I'm taking her out tonight. You know, one last Girl's Night Out."

Her father raised an eyebrow at her.

"Make sure you two behave yourselves. I don't need to read about your adventures in tomorrow's Prophet, hmm?" he said with a smile.

She rolled her eyes at her father.

"Papa, of course we will. Nicky's getting married tomorrow, do you think she'd do anything to ruin that?" Noelle asked him innocently.

"Have fun and be safe."

Noelle grinned as she headed to the foyer to Apparate to Nicolette's home.

* * *

She appeared in the front circular driveway of her friend's house. Climbing the front steps, she rang the chimes.

Nicolette's butler, Garton answered the door. He knew Noelle well and smiled in delight when he saw who it was.

"Noelle, chérie, how are you? Enjoying England?" he asked.

"Hello Garton, it's so good to see you. Oui, I love England and Hogwarts, but I miss France and Beauxbatons. It's nice to be back for a visit."

The elderly gentleman smiled and held the door wider to allow her inside.

"Mademoiselle Nicolette is upstairs in her room," he told her with a dark look in his eyes.

"Merci, Garton. I will show myself upstairs."

Noelle mounted the stairs two at a time. Once she was on the first floor landing, she turned right and went to knock on the first door she saw. Behind the door she could hear angry voices.

"You wouldn't understand, Danielle! You have no idea how I feel!" Nicolette raged at her older sister.

"I don't? Do you think that I loved Armand when we got married? No! But love grows, Nicky. I love him now, and that's all that matters."

Noelle could hear the heart wrenching sobs that were coming from her best friend and she ached for her. Knocking sharply on the door, she turned the handle without waiting for an answer.

Upon opening the door, Noelle could see Nicolette lying in a heap on her bed. Her shoulders were shaking with her desperate sobs. Seeing Noelle enter the room, Danielle rose from where she had been crouched on the corner of the bed.

"See if you can get her to calm down, at least a little," Danielle asked softly before she left the room.

Noelle perched on the edge of the bed and rubbed her friend's heaving back.

"I can't do it, Noelle. I won't marry him," she gasped out between sobs.

"Just because you marry him does not mean he holds your heart, cherie. You will always love Remus, you and I both know that."

Nicolette picked her head up off of her bed. Her brown eyes were swollen and red from crying.

"Why are you dressed like that?" Nicolette asked suspiciously.

"Because you and I are going out for your bachelorette party. No arguments. Get dressed, I'll go talk to your mother." Noelle quickly left the room.

Within minutes she was back.

"All set. Are you ready?" she asked.

Nicolette gaped at her. "You're not serious? You only gave me five minutes!"

Noelle sighed and went to her friend's closet. She pulled a dark brown skirt and turquoise halter from their hangers.

"Here, wear this."

She dropped to her knees and searched the bottom of Nicky's closet, emerging with a pair of brown leather sandals.

While Nicolette dressed, Noelle tugged at her friend's long mane of dark brown hair. She didn't have her mother's talent with hair, but she was satisfied that Nicky looked beautiful.

"Come on!" Noelle grabbed her friend by the hand and tugged her out of the house.

"Where are we going?" Nicolette panted as she tried to keep up with Noelle.

"Don't worry about it," Noelle responded as she reached the center of the driveway.

"Hold on tight." With a quick spin, they disappeared.

* * *

Instantly they appeared at a house that seemed familiar to her. Nicolette gasped and her hand went to her throat when she realized where they were. Tears sprung to her eyes and she stared wordlessly at Noelle. 

"You can thank me later," Noelle said, giving her friend a quick hug. "Now go. He's waiting for you."

Hesitantly, Nicolette knocked on the door of the guest cottage where the boys had stayed the previous summer. The door was flung open almost instantly. Remus stood before her, his light brown hair falling is his golden eyes as usual. Overcome with emotion, Nicolette fell forward into his arms.

"It wasn't enough, the night before you left. I had to see you again," he whispered into her dark hair.

"We mustn't be caught," she murmured against his neck.

With his knees going weak, he swung her into his arms and brought her into the house. He hurried up the stairs with her arms wrapped around his neck, kicking open the door of his bedroom. As he carefully lowered her onto his bed, she grinned up at him wickedly.

"Do you realize this is the first time that we've made love in a bed?" she asked him.

He laughed as he tugged his shirt over his head. Lying on the bed next to her, he smoothed her hair away from her face.

"I love you Nicolette. I don't care if you're married. He'll never be able to love you the way I do."

"I'll never love him, Remus. I've used up all my love on you. He may have me as his wife, but he'll never have my heart," she said, remembering what Noelle had said to her.

Remus pressed his lips against hers as he reached behind her neck to untie her halter. He quickly pulled the shirt over her head and buried his face in her bare breasts. She moaned in delight as he traced his tongue over her soft flesh. He devoured her with his mouth as his hands slid up her thighs and under her skirt. Finding the tiny lace thong she wore, he pulled it down her legs and tossed it onto the floor. He slowly began to trail kisses down her stomach to the waistband of her skirt. When he reached it, he flipped the material up and ran his tongue along the bottom of the waistband. His thumbs kneaded the smooth skin of her upper thighs and he delved deeper into her. Her cries were echoing in the small room, but it didn't matter. There was no one in the guest house to hear her.

When he was as she was as hungry for him as he was for her, he released the fastener on the back of her skirt and removed it from her body. Turning away from her slightly, he removed the clothes that he had been wearing and slipped under the sheets with her. She pressed her body eagerly against his, already knowing how he would respond.

"I love you so much Remus," she whispered into his ear as he began to enter her.

He was so centered on pleasing her and feeling the same pleasure from her that he could barely hear what she had said. All he knew was how much the woman beneath his body meant to him, and no matter what any priest said, she would be his wife in her heart.


	15. Chapter 15 Wedding Bells

Chapter 15 

Remus awoke the next morning to find himself alone in his bed. Sometime in the early hours of the morning, Nicolette had crept out of bed and returned to her home. Swallowing back tears, but infinitely grateful that they had had one last night together, he rolled over and clutched his pillow, pretending it was the girl her loved so much.

* * *

On the other side of Cannes, the Moreau house was in an uproar. There were people scurrying around, cleaning this, setting up that. Noelle was shut up in Nicolette's room with the bride-to-be, trying to quell her last minute fears.

"Nicky, everything's going to be fine. Just smile a lot and pretend that it is Remus at the altar," Noelle said softly into her friend's ear.

Nicolette smiled at her maid of honor.

"I'm fine Noelle, really, I am. I've come to terms with it," she said as she straightened the long veil that hung over her shoulders.

Noelle raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? So I take it last night went well?" she teased.

Nicolette turned to her best friend.

"Thank you for that, Noelle. You don't have any idea how much that meant to both of us," she said, her voice heavy with emotion. "But I have to go through with this."

"Friedrich is a good man, and he will treat you well," Noelle said.

Nicolette nodded, once again smiling gently.

"He is, he will be a good husband."

A knock at the door caused them both to jump.

Antoinette, Nicolette's oldest sister, peeked her head around the door. She was heavily pregnant with her third child.

"Can I come in for a good luck hug?" she asked shyly.

Nicolette nodded and jumped up to embrace her sister.

Antoinette hugged her baby sister tightly.

"It's not the end of the world, you know. Both Danielle and I felt this way before our weddings," she said.

Nicolette pulled away from her sister.

"But you love Pierre!"

Antoinette smiled serenely.

"I do now, just as Danielle loves Armand. Love is something that develops as well as something that strikes you over the head. We may not have fallen in love at first sight, but we have a mutual respect for each other. From that grew love," she smoothed Nicky's hair back gently. "You will find it in time as well. But always remember. You never will forget how much you love Remus, and if it's truly love, he will always love you as well."

With a wink, she turned on her heel and left the room, leaving both girls staring at her retreating back, wondering why Antoinette had made that last comment.

"You don't think…" Noelle trailed off.

"Of course not, Antoinette would ever do anything like that," Nicolette's voice also lost momentum as they stared at each other. Slowly a wide smile spread across Nicolette's face and she looked a good deal more relaxed. Out in the corridor they could hear the sounds of people lining up to start the procession.

"Come on," Nicolette said, taking Noelle by the arm. "It's show time."

* * *

Noelle took her place directly in front of Nicolette. Nicky was holding her father's arm, looking calm and beautiful. The other bridesmaids were heading down the aisle one at a time until just Noelle was left. She glanced over her shoulder at Nicolette one last time before taking Dietrich by the elbow and slowly gliding towards the altar.

Friedrich stood just off to the side of the aisle. His dark hair was rakishly parted to the side and his blue eyes were shining as he took in the vision that was Nicolette. The brunette's dark hair was piled on her head with curls trailing down her back. The white lace veil she wore had been worn by both of her sisters before her. He gown was made of the same pattern of white lace with white satin accents. Her dark brown eyes had a slightly glazed look, which led Noelle to believe that she was indeed picturing Remus at the altar. When Nicolette and her father reached where Friedrich was standing, Nicky turned to her father and kissed his cheek quickly. Noelle stepped forward from her place and gathered the long train of Nicky's gown so she could arrange it behind her friend. Friedrich offered a hand to his bride and turned her so they were both facing the priest.

Noelle allowed her mind to wander as Nicolette and Friedrich recited their vows. She imagined being in Nicky's white satin sandals, declaring her unconditional love for Sirius Black. A smile crossed her face as she imagined how handsome he would be, and how good Lily and Nicolette would look in pale blue silk gowns. The sound of someone clearing their throat caused her to open her eyes. Nicolette was staring at her with a slight smile on her face with her hand slightly outstretched.

"Oh, the ring!" Noelle exclaimed as she produced the shining gold band.

There was a slight ripple of laughter and Dietrich wiggled his eyebrows at her, causing her to flush in embarrassment.

Nicolette and Friedrich turned to face each other. Friedrich eagerly repeated the vows that the priest narrated to him with a tender smile at his bride. Then he slipped an ornately carved gold band on her left ring finger above the 3-carat diamond he had given her three days before. Taking a deep breath as she stared at her wedding band, Nicolette repeated her vows.

"I take you," she paused briefly. "Friedrich Bernard Bauer, to be my lawfully wedded husband," she stated, her voice shaking. Noelle willed strength into her friend as she finished reciting. After she had made her vow, Nicolette's eyes closed and Noelle saw her wobble slightly. Nicolette regained her composure and smiled reassuringly at Friedrich. She then pushed the band onto his finger.

The priest smiled and pronounced, "You may now kiss the bride."

Noelle's eyes widened as she realized that this was the first time Nicky and Friedrich had ever kissed. Friedrich leaned in to kiss his wife. Instinctively Nicolette leaned slightly back, but he managed to kiss her anyway. The couple turned to face the crowd. Friedrich was beaming joyously, but Nicolette's smile was forced and looked plastic.

"May I present to you Monsieur and Madame Bauer!" the priest exclaimed as they began their walk back down the aisle.

The reception was happy enough, Noelle decided. The food was excellent and all those cake tastings had paid off. The musicians played sedate dinner music while the guests sampled the offerings that the Moreau's house elves had created. Noelle wound her way through the crowd, saying hello to old friends and hugging others. As she left an elderly friend of her father's, she spotted her other best friend from Beauxbatons.

"Marie-Lise!" she called, standing on her tiptoes.

The black haired girl whipped her head around at the sound of Noelle's voice.

"Noelle! It's been too long!"

Noelle pushed through the people standing around her and embraced her friend. Quickly she pulled back.

"Marie-Lise! You're…  
"Pregnant? Oui, almost 6 months. Etienne didn't think that it was proper for me to be here, but I would not have missed Nicky's wedding for anything."

"So you married Etienne? When?"

Marie-Lise dropped her eyes.

"We had to elope four months ago, because I got pregnant. But all is well, I was promised to him anyways."

Noelle smiled slightly.

"You were lucky; you fell in love with the man you were promised to."

Marie-Lise raised a black eyebrow.

"You did too Noelle. Olivier was all you ever wanted. What happened?"

Noelle gestured to a table that was nearby. Once the girls had sat down, she picked up a napkin and began to fold it into thirds.

"When I was sent to Hogwarts, my father lied to him. He said that since I was sick, that the betrothal was off. He told Marcel Roussard that because I was dying his son shouldn't have to promise to marry me, that it wasn't fair. He told me, however, that Olivier didn't want to be with me because I was sick. It wasn't true, but the damage had been done. Our relationship was irreparable. But I was lucky. A friend created a potion for me, which basically saved my life. I met someone whom I fell deeply in love with. By the time Olivier and I had the chance to speak, it was too late. I don't love him anymore. After knowing love with Sirius, I really don't think I ever did."

Marie-Lise was stunned as she listened to her friend speak so bluntly about her disease and her love life. Noelle had never been what one would call open.

"So when the wedding for you and, what is is his name? Sirius?"

Noelle nodded.

"We haven't really talked about it. We're actually not on the best of terms right now."

"Why?"

Noelle exhaled loudly.

"I cheated on him."

"Oh, Noelle. And he knows?"

Noelle nodded again.

"He'll get over it."

Marie-Lise placed a hand on her stomach.

"Quick, Noelle, feel this."

She grabbed Noelle's hand and placed it where hers had just been.

Noelle could feel the baby kicking.

"I can feel it!" she exclaimed.

"Her. It's a girl. Her name will be Abrielle."

Noelle filled with wonder as she felt little Abrielle kicking in Marie-Lise's stomach.

"Congratulations, Marie-Lise. I'm so happy for you,"

Noelle hugged her friend tightly.

The band, who had been taking a small break, began to tune so Nicolette and Friedrich could dance their first dance as a married couple.

Nicolette hadn't been able to think of a song that she wanted to dance to. A few days before the wedding, she had told her plan to Noelle.

"Since there really isn't a song that says, 'I wish I was marrying someone else, not you,' I'm just going to dance to some waltz that Mother picked out."

Noelle had laughed, but Nicky hadn't been kidding. A waltz with no words began and the newly married couple took to the dance floor. Nicolette looked stiff and uncomfortable in Friedrich's arms. They made a number of turns on the floor; still Nicky barely cracked a smile. The song ended and Nicky hurried out of the spotlight to sit at the head table. The band leader, a tall woman with long wavy red hair, looked slightly confused but carried right on into the next song.

_Ce souvenir je te le rends. _

_Des souvenirs, tu sais j'en ai tellement. _

The song began and Noelle began to sway gently to the music. _Les Yeux Ouverts _was her very favorite song.

"Dance with me," a voice asked from behind her.

Slowly she turned to see Olivier. She shook her head.

"One dance, Noelle. Please." He asked.

_Puisqu'on repart toujours a zero. _

_Pas la peine de changer trop... _

She nodded hesitantly and he swept her into his arms to dance.

_Ce souvenir je te le prends. _

_Des souvenirs, comme ca j'en ai tout le temps. _

_Si par erreur la vie nous sépare, _

_J'le sortirai d'mon tiroir. _

She closed her eyes and felt Olivier tighten his arms around her.

"Can you believe that Nicky is married? It's such a shock," he began.

"Why is it a shock?" Noelle asked.

Olivier gazed into her navy eyes.

"It should have been us."

_J'reve les yeux ouverts. _

_Ça m'fait du bien. _

_Ça ne va pas plus loin. _

_J'vais pas voir derriere _

_Puisque j'aime bien. _

_Vivement demain. _

Noelle gave a start when she remembered that they had talked about marrying before her last year at Beauxbatons. It was common to return as a married woman for your seventh year.

_Un dernier verre de sherry. _

_Du sherry mon amant quand je m'ennuie. _

_Tous les jours se ressemblent a présent. _

_Tu me manques terriblement... _

_J'reve les yeux ouverts. _

_Ça m'fait du bien. _

_Ça ne va pas plus loin. _

_J'vais pas voir derriere _

_Puisque j'aime bien. _

_Vivement demain. _

"Olivier, we were lied to, and it wasn't fair. But our relationship is over. I'm not going to marry you; I'm in love with someone else," she said softly.

His deep brown eyes misted over but he kept his voice steady.

"I'll always love you, Noelle. And when he has abandoned you like he had before, I'll be here to dry your tears and comfort you. He doesn't know you like I do," Olivier stated.

_Un dernier verre de sherry. _

_Du sherry mon amant quand je m'ennuie. _

_Tous les jours se ressemblent a présent. _

_Tu me manques terriblement..._

The song ended and Noelle leaned forward to press her lips to Olivier's cheek.

"It's over, Olivier. Find someone else," she whispered with tears in her eyes.

She stepped back, barely able to look him in the eye for the anguish that she saw there. Wiping a small tear from her own eyes, she turned and disappeared into the crowd.


	16. Chapter 16 Reunions

Chapter 16 

Before Noelle knew it, it was nearly September 1st. Nicolette had returned from her honeymoon in Greece silent and withdrawn. Friedrich was also rather sedate, but did a good job of hiding it when the Bauer's had Noelle and Dietrich to dinner two nights before she was to return to Hogwarts. Nicolette had been rather quiet throughout the meal, leaving the conversation mainly between her husband, brother-in-law and best friend. Noelle shot many furitive glances at her friend, trying desperately to communicate with her eyes, but Nicky steadfastly refused to meet her gaze. At the end of the meal, the conversation was at a lull. With a sad look at his wife, Friedrich stood and invited his brother into the study for an after dinner drink.

As soon as they left the room, Noelle turned to face Nicolette. The brunette's head was down and she still wouldn't make eye contact with Noelle. Noelle stood and went around the table to sit beside her. She could see the tears building underneath Nicky's eyelids and she reached for her hand sympathetically.

"It was terrible," Nicky whispered. "When we first arrived we were both so tired that we just passed out. The next day, we went sight seeing. It was fine until after dinner, when it was time to go to bed. I wanted to scream when he touched me."

Nicolette's shoulders were starting to heave, but she pressed on.

"He just didn't get it. He didn't stop; he didn't pay attention to the fact that I didn't want him to be touching me. After he was done, I started to cry. He knew I wasn't a virgin, I could tell he did. He tried to comfort me, but I was inconsolable. I can't help but feel like I've betrayed Remus. Oh God, Noelle! I miss him so much!" Nicolette sobbed into her hands.

Noelle embraced her friend tightly while she cried.

"You know that Remus stands behind you no matter what. He understands why you did what you did. He'll never hold that against you."

Nicolette picked her head up out of her hands and took a deep breath.

"Every night after that first one, he's set on making love to me. I shake and tense up, but I swear, that turns him on! Why can't he see that I don't want him?" Nicolette asked angrily.

Noelle shushed her quickly, for she had seen someone lurking in the doorway.

"All done with your brandy, I presume?" she called out, forcing her voice to be light.

Dietrich stepped out of the shadows, his forehead deeply lined. Within a second, Noelle could tell that he had heard what Nicolette had said.

"Yes. It's getting late and I thought you might want an escort home," he stated firmly.

Swinging her eyes to Nicky, Noelle nodded.

"Oui, it is late. I must finish packing to return to Hogwarts," she replied.

Nicolette looked even sadder as she said this. Noelle felt terrible, remembering that Nicolette would not be returning to Beauxbatons this fall.

Noelle hugged her extra tight.

"I'm just an Apparition away, you know," she whispered into Nicky's ear.

Nicolette nodded, her walls already up.

"I'll be fine. I love you," she whispered back fiercely.

Noelle pulled back, keeping her eyes locked on Nicolette. Smiling sadly, she hurried out of the room to join Dietrich in the foyer.

The tall blonde was angrily pacing back and forth.

"Why? Why did she even bother marrying him?" he spit out.

"Quiet!" Noelle hissed. "This is neither the place nor the time."

"I can think of no better time or place. Give me one reason why I shouldn't go tell my brother what I just heard!"

Noelle grabbed him by the arm.

"You were eavesdropping! She was confiding in me, not revealing anything! Of course, she needs time to adjust! Give her a break!" Noelle pleaded.

"Do you know what he just said to me? He said that every time he goes near her, she bursts into tears or starts to shake so bad he's afraid she's having a seizure! He says that he feels like he's raping his own wife when he touches her!"

Noelle covered her eyes with her hand and sighed heavily.

"I don't know what to say," she began.

"I swear Noelle. If she hurts my brother," he voice trailed off, the threat lingering.

"You'll what? Kill her? Grow up! She's his wife, not yours!" she seethed.

Dietrich spun on his heel and stormed from the foyer of his brother's home, his robes flapping behind him. Noelle rushed after him.

"I thought you were going to see me home?" she asked.

"Do it yourself," he snapped.

With her jaw agape, she stood stunned as he Apparated. Shaking her head and trembling with fury, she Apparated home.

Her father called out to her as she stalked through the entryway of her home.

"Noelle? What's the matter?"

She paused at the door to his study.

"Nicky's miserable, and no one seems to care except for me," she explained.

Her father sighed and sat back in his chair.

"It's only been two weeks, Noelle. She needs time to adjust," he said gently.

Noelle smiled ruefully.

"That's what I just told Dietrich. He overheard Nicky and I talking after dinner tonight. He's pretty upset with her. And he's concerned about his brother."

"It's not anyone's business except for Nicolette and Friedrich. No one should be interfering," her father said.

Noelle lost most of her steam at this very logic comment by her father.

"I know, but she's my best friend, Papa," she said softly.

Her father rose from his seat and approached her.

"I know you are, and I'm glad that you two have remained so close. But Nicolette is approaching a new phase of her life. She has to adapt on her own, as hard as that may be for her," he said.

Noelle smiled at her father, incredibly grateful that he was speaking to her as if she was an adult.

"Very well, Papa, I'll leave it be," she said. "I must go upstairs, I have to finish packing. I'm leaving for school tomorrow."

"So you have decided to return to Hogwarts?" he questioned.

Noelle gave him an odd look.

"Of course, why would I return to Beauxbatons?" she asked.

He smiled at her.

"I just figured that because you are an adult now, that you would choose to return to your old school. It makes no difference to me where you go."

"I have to return. I'd miss Lily, James and Remus far too much."

"What about Sirius?" her father asked hesitantly.

Noelle's face changed and she looked strangely prophetic.

"I couldn't live without Sirius," she said softly.

With a final smile at her father, she turned and scurried up the stairs to her bedroom.

* * *

Apparating with a sharp crack, Noelle found herself in the Leaky Cauldron. She dusted her robes off and checked her pockets for her shrunken trunk. Within minutes, she was in a taxi on her way to King's Cross.

On Platform 9 ¾, she surveyed the crowds for signs of her friends. Lily, with her unmistakably red hair was the first one she saw. Giving a shout and waving her hand over her head, she hurried to where Lily was stationed.

"Noelle!"

The girls embraced tightly. When Noelle pulled back, a shining badge caught her eye.

"Head Girl? Brilliant!" she exclaimed as she hugged her again.

Lily laughed, her emerald eyes sparkling.

"Wait until you meet the Head Boy," she said coquettishly.

"You're kidding me," Noelle said in disbelief.

"Don't make me give you detention, Lemieux," James said with false sternness in his voice.

Noelle greeted James with a hug as well.

"And Sirius? Where is he?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Right behind you," he answered.

Before she could even open her mouth to say hello, he had swept her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. He held the kiss for longer than any kiss Noelle had ever experienced. When they broke apart, all she could do was stare at him with her mouth agape. He held a hand out to her. Wordlessly, she took it and allowed him to lead her away.

"Well, that reunion went well," James teased as he stood next to Lily.

"Yeah, what was that all about?" she questioned.

"Hell if I know."

* * *

Sirius found an empty compartment and stepped aside to allow Noelle in first. She entered, slightly apprehensive about his motives.

"Sit," he said, gesturing to one of the benches.

She gracefully sat, arranging her robes around her knees.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out.

She raised her eyebrows.

"And that's the only time I'm going to say it," he started, but Noelle was shaking her head.

"No, Sirius. I am sorry. I'm so sorry. I just want to forget it ever happened, I just want us to be back the way we used to be," she said with tears choking her voice.

He grabbed her hands and sank to his knees.

"It's over, it's in the past. We can start over. I love you, Noelle."

"I was so miserable. I missed you so much. After I wrote to you to tell you not to come, I thought about how stupid that was. I needed you there. I wanted you there. Life is too short, Sirius. I don't want to fight anymore," she said, gasping for breath between sentences.

Sirius leaned forwards and kissed her softly. She responded eagerly, her body hungry for his. Her fingers twisted in his dark hair as she sucked on his lips. He groaned as he felt her hands sliding inside his robes. He straightened up and pushed her back against the back cushion of the bench. Taking his wand out of his pocket, he flicked it at the door of the compartment, effectively covering the glass with black sheets. Remembering how loud Noelle could be, he swished it again, performing a strong Silencing charm.

Indeed Noelle was loud. She was moaning in ecstasy as he ran his hands under her robes and over her bare skin. It had been far too long since their flesh had known each other, and she was more than ready for him. She was clinging to him, pressing her body against his, and grinding her pelvis into his. It was more than unbearable. With a wicked grin, she pointed her wand at him. Instantly his clothes disappeared, causing her eyes to grow very wide.

"What? You look as is you've never seen my body before," he whispered into her ear.

"I've just missed it, that's all," she replied as she dug her fingernails into his rear. Sliding her hands up his back, she raked her nails down, which sent him over the edge.

"I need to be inside of you, right now," he demanded.

She nodded, bleary eyed with desire.

He tore the robes from her body, revealing the smooth tanned flesh that he knew so well. Bringing his lips to her stomach, he trailed kisses across her torso. Noelle flung her head back, crying out at the pleasure that was coursing through her entire being. He looked up at her, his grey eyes smoldering.

"I love you Noelle," he said softly.

"I love you too, but you're driving me mad," she panted.

With a slow smile, he began to enter her.

She was crying out wildly, clawing at the cushion beneath her, hardly able to keep her wits about her. He pressed on, driving deeper into her core, lost in the amazing sensations that had completely taken over. With a shout, he clutched the back of the seat, his head hanging over her quivering body. Noelle was whimpering as her body convulsed around him. Her cheeks were flushed a bright red and her hair was damp and stringy. As she took deeper and deeper breaths, her heart slowly stopped racing and her navy eyes opened wide.

"If that is how we are going to make up, we should fight more often," she said with a wink.

"I'm never going to fight with you again, Noelle. It was the worst feeling I've ever had, thinking I had lost you forever," he murmured, still trying to catch his breath.

"If you think I'm letting you go anywhere, especially after something as good as that just was, you've got another think coming," she whispered as she pulled him down for another kiss.

* * *

They managed to compose themselves enough to search the train for their friends' compartment. Noelle peeked her head around the doorframe and smiled when she saw Lily, James and Remus seated together. She entered hand in hand with Sirius, grinning broadly. She gave a start when she saw who was seated next to Remus.

"Peter!" Sirius said jovially, extending his hand. "Have a good summer?"

Peter nervously took Sirius' hand and shook it weakly.

"Yes, it was fine," he said softly.

Noelle's eyes shot over to where Lily was glaring out the window.

"Lil, come find the lunch trolley with me?" she asked, inclining her head towards the door.

Eagerly Lily jumped out of her seat and fled the compartment. Noelle rolled her eyes at Sirius and slid the door shut behind her.

"Ooh, I can't stand him!" Lily exclaimed when they were out in the corridor. "He's like a rodent, always underfoot and never wanted," she huffed.

Noelle laughed. "I agree, he's not the sort of person that I would think they would hang out with. He's too…" she fumbled for the word she was looking for.

"Stupid? Ignorant. Maybe pathetic?" Lily mused out loud.

Noelle laughed even harder. "Definitely pathetic."

Lily shook her unruly red hair away from her face and grinned lazily at her friend.

"Have a nice reunion?" she asked teasingly.

"What do you mean?" Noelle asked with false innocence.

"Your robes are on inside out," Lily stage whispered.

Noelle flushed and quickly turned them the right way. "Never mind, Lily."

Lily laughed at her friend's embarrassment. "Oh, don't worry. I'm glad you guys have worked things out."

Noelle offered a weak smile. "Me too. I wish he had been at Nicky's wedding though," she said grimly.

"How was it? Remus won't even talk about her," Lily added.

"The ceremony was beautiful. Nicky looked wonderful, and the reception was good, too. Olivier was there," she said with a sidelong glance at her friend.

"Oh no. Did he talk to you?" Lily questioned.

"Of course, we had a dance."

Lily opened her mouth to say something, but Noelle stopped her with a wave of her hand.

"I told him that I was in love with someone else, and that he needed to find someone as well," she said sadly.

Lily raised an eyebrow.

"How did he take that?"

Noelle bit her lower lip.

"Not well. I think he was about to cry when I left him on the dance floor. But after all, it is for the best," she mused.

"It is. Now there is nothing to stand in the way of your relationship with Sirius, except your father," Lily observed.

Noelle smiled slightly.

"I don't think that my father will offer much resistance. Ever since I told him about the potion that Severus made for me, he has treated me as an adult," she wiped a hand over her face and smiled at Lily. "We'll see how long that lasts."


	17. Chapter 17 Back to School

Chapter 17 

The Hogwarts Express ground to a halt at the Hogsmeade station. Hopping down the steps of the train, Noelle grinned broadly at Lily.

"Can you believe it? Seventh years! Finally!" she exclaimed as she gripped Sirius' hand tightly.

"Amazing how the place grows on you, isn't it?" James quipped as he relieved a Hufflepuff second year of a Belting Boomerang.

"And you've only been here for two years. This place has been like home to me," Sirius said softly.

Noelle pressed her lips gently to his cheek.

"After we graduate, you'll have a real home. I promise you," she whispered with a wink.

They quickly hopped into a carriage and settled in for the ride to the castle.

The Sorting was quick this year, Noelle noticed as she chose her dinner from the spread in front of her. The first years looked so small and anxious, and James and Sirius weren't doing anything to squash their fears.

"Yeah, and if you don't get the answers right, the teachers will stun you," James said with his hazel eyes wide.

The small brown haired first year boy quaked with fear as he nodded solemnly. James turned back to Sirius, barely able to keep the laughter contained inside. Lily whacked him on the arm.

"If that were true James, you'd be permanently stunned," Lily quipped.

Noelle and Sirius laughed as James protested loudly.

Dumbledore stood and cleared his throat. The student body gradually ceased their chatter and turned their attention to the head table.

"Welcome back for another year at Hogwarts," he began. "It is a pleasure to see all of you again, after what I hope was an enjoyable summer holiday."

Noelle began to tune out as Dumbledore gave his welcoming speech, and only jumped back to attention when she heard the benches sliding back against the stone floor. She quickly got to her feet and slid her hand into the crook of Sirius' arm. James and Lily stood at the entryway of the Great Hall, directing the younger students to their respective prefects. Noelle and Sirius waited patiently for the crowds to become smaller before they tried to leave to head to their tower. Noelle felt Sirius' body stiffen beside her. She turned to ask him what was wrong when she spotted the cause of his apprehension. Regulus was leaning casually against the stone wall, very much like he had the first night she met him.

"My dear disowned brother!" he called out over the heads of the remaining students. "Are you still my brother if you have been kicked out of the family? It doesn't matter, I suppose," he said silkily.

"What do you want?" Sirius asked from between clenched teeth.

"Oh, I just wanted to say hello. I haven't seen you since you left our house in a such a hurry," he said.

Sirius remained silent as he glared at his younger brother, which seemed to egg Regulus on.

"Ah, Noelle. Wonderful to see you again. I must say, you look far more serious than you did at our, I mean, _my_ house this summer,"

Noelle returned his stony gaze.

"My mother just died. I haven't felt much like smiling," she returned.

"That's too bad," Regulus said without an ounce of sympathy. Over his shoulder a girl appeared. She cleared her throat impatiently.

"Oh, have you met Pamela? We started dating this summer," he said, turning slightly to reveal the girl standing behind him.

She was tall, and wearing Slytherin colors. Her hair was a strange mixture of colors, without particularly being a color at all. What made her stand out were her eyes. They were a combination of blue and green, leaning more towards green. She smiled lazily at Sirius and Noelle.

"So this is your infamous brother?" she asked. "And his girlfriend?"

Regulus nodded and Pamela extended her hand.

"Pamela Stasis, nice to meet you," she said firmly.

"Charmed," Sirius replied shaking her hand briefly with Noelle following suit.

"I've heard much about you, Noelle. Regulus tells me that his family was none too fond of you when you came to dinner? Odd, they were very gracious towards me," she sneered with a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Well, perhaps you are more to their liking, which makes sense. You are a Slytherin, after all," Noelle answered coldly.

"Obviously, this would make me more appealing than you, especially to a family that is concerned about what kind of blood they are allowing in intermingling with their own," she said smugly.

Sirius and Regulus were standing off to the side; both highly amused watching their girlfriends spar with each other.

Noelle raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"You would think that they would want their sons to be happy, not about the quality of their offspring," she retorted.

"That is what a common family would think," Pamela scoffed.

"Ah, the age-old battle of the blood wars," Sirius interrupted. "Not a very pleasant after dinner conversation. If you will excuse us," he took Noelle by the elbow. "We really must be going."

Sirius steered Noelle out of the Great Hall and towards the staircases that led to the tower.

"Why did you do that? I was just getting started!" she protested in jest.

"As amusing as watching that was, I didn't think it was necessary. Regulus isn't worth your anger or your frustration, and neither is any girl with whom he chooses to 'intermingle' with," Sirius said in a fake snobbish tone.

"I was starting to enjoy myself, however," Noelle commented as they climbed the stairs.

"I'm sure you were, darling. I could tell," he replied.

"Anyways, who does she think she is?"

"She's perfect for Regulus, that's for sure," Sirius responded.

"I'm sure your parents just loved her as well," Noelle said sourly.

Sirius turned her so that she was facing him. He lifted her chin so she was looking into his eyes.

"I don't care what my parents think, Noelle. You're the one that I've chosen to spend my life with, and they can't make me change my mind. It's you and me, and no one else. Got it?" he asked her.

She smiled and slid her arms around his neck.

"Got it."

Classes started the next day, and Noelle immediately felt the stress of being a seventh year. The professors made a point of reminding the students of their upcoming N.E.W.T. exams at least once every twenty minutes. By the time the lunch break rolled around, Noelle was ready to throw in the towel and drop out.

"I can't do it. No matter how much I study, I will never be ready for these exams," she said, slamming her Charms text shut.

Lily reached over and opened Noelle's book for her.

"Yes, you can, and yes, you will. They're no different than the O.W.L. exams were."

Noelle snorted at her friend, but resolutely opened her book to start taking notes on Advanced Conjuring Charms. Within minutes, she had drifted off.

_The air was crisp and cool, the sea breeze brushing her face as she walked in the maze of the house in Cannes. Her father walked beside her._

_"You are feeling better, then?" he asked._

_She nodded, keeping her gaze on the ground. _

_"Good. Then I see no reason not to proceed as planned,"_

_She swung a tortured gaze up to her father's face. _

_"Why must I go through with this?" she whispered softly. _

_"Why? Why?" her father thundered. "You need to ask why? You have disgraced not only your name and your family, but also yourself! Have you no self respect?"_

She bowed her head and cried as her father yelled, shattering the still solitude of the maze.

"Noelle!"

She jerked her head up off the table.

"You were sleeping? Come on, it's time for Potions!" Lily demanded as she stood over her friend with her foot tapping impatiently.

"Okay, you dictator," Noelle grumbled as she picked her bag up off of the floor and got to her feet.

The dungeons were cool and damp, which was quite a relief after the stuffy heat of the tower. Gratefully Noelle sank into a seat with Lily beside her.

The classes melted together and before she knew it, the first day was over. She sank onto a couch in the common room next to Sirius. She stretched her legs out over his lap and wiggled her toes.

"What do you want?" he asked her.

She turned her lower lip down and pouted.

"My feet hurt," she said.

"So?"

"Please?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.

Sirius heaved a sigh and began to lightly rub her feet. She sighed in pleasure and leaned back against the cushions of the couch.

"You are so spoiled," Sirius grumbled as he massaged her feet.

"I know, but I deserve it," she said with a smile.

Remus slunk into the common room, trying not to attract any attention. He hurried by his friends and rushed up the stairs to his bedroom.

"How's he doing?" Noelle asked Sirius.

Sirius sighed heavily.

"Honestly, not too good. He mopes everywhere, and he hardly talks to any of us. It's like he's just given up," Sirius said sadly.

"Maybe it's too much to ask of him right now. Maybe he needs to heal a little. I mean, it had to be horrible, knowing that Nicky was marrying someone else," Noelle said softly.

James and Lily emerged from the portrait hole holding hands.

"You both look very guilty," Noelle said teasingly.

"Oh, and we are very guilty," James replied with a smirk.

Lily whacked him on the shoulder.

"Don't listen to him, we were only out for a walk," Lily said, rolling her eyes.

"Aww, Lil, you're going to ruin my image!" James complained.

"It could not be ruined more, Prongs," Sirius said with a wink.

James chucked a pillow at Sirius and plopped down on the sofa across from him.

"By the way, I saw Peter downstairs. He wanted to know when we were going to start teaching him again. I told him I'd have to talk to you first," James said.

Sirius rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I suppose next week. That would work," he mused aloud, trying to ignore James' exasperating sighs. "Knock it off, Prongs,"

James heaved another sigh.

"Are we almost done? I really don't like him,"

"What's to like?" Noelle muttered under her breath.

"Come on guys! So he's a little…"

"Slow?" offered Lily from her seat at a table near the window.

"Moronic?" quipped Noelle.

"Enough!" Sirius said firmly. "We made a deal, and we don't break them,"

James rolled his eyes and sighed again. "It doesn't mean I have to like him,"

"No it doesn't, but you could at least be civil to him. I mean, he could have us chucked into Azkaban," Sirius said warningly.

"He's just as guilty as you guys are now," Noelle reminded him.

"Yeah, but we were the ones who started it. It's the right thing to do. A deal is a deal," he said with a final glare at James.

"Fine," James grunted.

"Fine."

Noelle shook her head and laughed at the boys as they bickered.

"I don't know about you all, but I'm going to bed," she yawned.

Sirius stood and held a hand out to help her rise. She pressed her lips to his and hugged him.

"Night," she whispered.

With a wave at Lily, she scampered up the stairs to her dorm room. _Sleep was going to come easily tonight_, she thought as she pulled the black robes from her body.

She was wrong. Sleep seemed to evade her at every toss and turn. She sighed heavily and sat up in bed. Glancing around the room at her roommates, she noticed that every single one of them was dreaming deeply.

"Lucky," she hissed as she slid off of her bed and hunted for her slippers. Grabbing her wand from her night table, she slipped from the room and hurried down the stairs.

She wasn't the only one who had developed a raving case of insomnia. Remus was huddled in the corner of the couch closest to the fireplace. His chin rested on top of his bony knees and he had a faraway look in his golden eyes. She touched him lightly on the head.

"You okay?" she asked sympathetically.

"No," he answered woodenly.

Noelle sat next to him on the couch and tucked her feet under her body.

"I miss her too," she said.

"You can still see her. I can't," Remus said.

Noelle arched an eyebrow playfully.

"You don't know that," she teased.

Remus picked his head up off of his knees.

"Yes I do, Noelle. She's married. She has a husband and a new life. I'm not going to interfere with that," he stated.

"Why not?" Noelle asked incredulously. "She doesn't love him, she loves you!"

"A lot of good that's doing me now, isn't it? I won't make a dishonest woman out of her; she deserves better than that," he said angrily.

"Remus, she is already being dishonest to herself. She married him because she had no choice. The only thing that carried her through it all was knowing that she had you and that you loved her. Don't give up on her now," Noelle pleaded.

"I can't do it, Noelle. It hurts too much," he managed to say while he tried to keep his tears inside. "I think of him touching her and I want to kill him."

Noelle wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes. Behind her lids she saw Remus, much older than he was now, balancing a young boy on his lap. He was beaming proudly at someone who Noelle couldn't see. Feeling a tremor of fear at this first physical vision, she pulled back slightly.

"You will be happy again, Remus. I know it," she said gently, covering her fears.

Remus stared at his friend and saw a strange look in her navy eyes. She smiled convincingly and rubbed his back. Suddenly exhausted, she wiped a hand over her face.

"Are you going to be all right?" she asked worriedly.

Remus nodded.

"Yeah, thanks."

She smiled again and headed back up the stairs, her knees very shaky.

"How about you? You all right?" Remus called to her.

She nodded and waved at him, but grabbed the railing of the banister with her other hand to steady herself. At the top of the stairs, her knees gave out completely and she sat hard on the top step. Waves of nausea rushed through her body and she put her head between her knees to make it stop. Her hands grew clammy and she felt very warm. Pulling herself back to her feet, she unsteadily made her way to the bathroom. Once inside, she splashed cold water on her face. It didn't help. Her stomach heaved and she gagged, barely making it into a stall.

When she finally felt well enough to leave the bathroom, it was nearly dawn. The pre dawn light made the grounds look as if they came from another world. There were clouds of fog and steam rising from the Forbidden Forest, making the trees look like skeletons. She gripped the windowsill and took a shaky breath. A large horse like creature rose from the tree line, circled and then descended again. She shook her head to clear it. _I'm going crazy; I'm seeing things_, she thought to herself. Vowing that she would ask Severus if these visions were aggravated by her potion, she left the bathroom to catch at least an hour or two of sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Classes were much the same as they had been for the past two years. The upcoming N.E.W.T. exams loomed over the heads of the seventh years, and their professors never missed an opportunity to remind them that the outcome of these exams had a profound impact on their future. Sirius and James, never ones to follow rules, were taken to task in Transfiguration one afternoon after Professor McGonagall had had quite enough of their lackadaisical attitude.

James and Sirius had been highly amused by her rant, which according to James had been nearing hysteria. Lily, who had been seated on the other side of James, agreed that McGonagall had indeed been frantically bouncing on the balls of her feet as she scolded them. Her hat had tilted sideways and Sirius had to bow his head in mock shame to keep from bursting into laughter. James however, wasn't as good at holding it back and spurts of laughter came sputtering from his lips, which caused her to become even more agitated.

As they regaled Noelle with the tale of their misbehavior, she rolled her eyes good-naturedly and laughed along with them. Their laughter was short lived when Peter Pettigrew slouched up to the table and cleared his throat softly.

"Hey guys," he said stuttered.

"Pete! How are you?" Sirius answered, jumping to his feet and making room for the short Hufflepuff.

Peter took the seat that Sirius gestured to and smiled thinly.

"I'm alright, I had a pretty good summer. Did you?" he asked as he poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice.

"Honestly buddy, it could have been better. I got into a huge fight with my parents, Remus' girlfriend married some German guy, Noelle's mom died…"

James kicked Sirius under the table and inclined his head toward Noelle, who was sitting growing paler as Sirius shot his mouth off.

"Oh Noelle, I'm so sorry. How did she die?" Peter asked.

Noelle cleared her throat.

"Cancer. She had cancer," she managed to answer.

"My mother died of cancer, too. When I was nine. It's very hard," he offered.

Noelle tilted her head to the side, seeing Peter differently. At least she had had almost seventeen years with her mother. Peter had only had nine. Maybe that's why he's so jumpy and nervous, she thought.

"If you ever need to talk about it, I'm here," he offered shyly.

Noelle smiled genuinely at him.

"Thank you Peter, that means a lot to me," she said, swinging her gaze to face Lily with an incredulous look on her face. Lily's face was also cloaked in disbelief.

"Well, ladies, if you'll excuse us, we must be doing some studying," Sirius said, shoving the bench back.

James and Remus stood as well and waited for Peter to disentangle himself from the long table and bench. Noelle shook her head slightly and smiled to herself.

"I never knew that about him," Lily said softly as the four boys walked away.

"Neither did I. Maybe we've been a little too judgmental about him," Noelle responded.

"Maybe," Lily replied, still not entirely convinced.

Noelle yawned.

"I need to go to sleep, Lil. I'm exhausted," Noelle said sleepily.

"Go on up. I need to hit the library for a little while," Lily answered.

Noelle headed out of the Great Hall; aiming to get back to Gryffindor Tower as quickly as she could so she might actually get some sleep.

"Noelle!"

Sighing heavily, she turned at the base of the staircase to see who was calling her name. Smiling softly, she hopped down the few stairs she had climbed and flung her arms around Severus.

"Whoa, Sirius must not be around anywhere," he joked as he returned her hug.

"Funny you should mention him," Noelle said, half under her breath.

Severus raised a dark eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he questioned.

She smiled weakly.

"He knows," she murmured.

"He WHAT?" he stuttered.

"He knows, you know, about us," Noelle said. "He knows what happened, and we fought, but we've reconciled. Everything is fine, and you don't have to worry about it," she said, trying to reassure him.

There was no comfort in her words. Severus had several scenes playing out in his head, most of them involving him bloodied beyond recognition.

"Did you tell him?" Severus asked.

"Honestly, I can't remember how it came about. But it's fine, everything is okay. I promise," she swore.

Severus was deeply unsettled by her nonchalance about the inevitable repercussions of their one indiscretion. He knew Sirius Black better than that, and he knew that he wasn't one to forgive and forget.

"So, how was your summer?" Noelle asked as she tucked her hand into his arm and they headed outside for a short stroll.

"It was pretty uneventful. Yours?"

Noelle's navy eyes clouded.

"My…my mother passed away," she choked out.

Instantly his arms were around her.

"I thought I saw something in the Prophet, but it wasn't clear on who it was. It never mentioned your last name. I'm so sorry," he whispered into her hair as he held her tightly.

She sniffled and pulled slightly away.

"She had cancer. It went through her so quickly that there was no chance to stop it. She was in a lot of pain, so she is in a better place," she said through her tears.

"Oh, Noelle. I would have given anything to be there with you," Severus said as he pulled her closer.

She nodded and sniffled again, reaching up to wipe her eyes.

"Enough, I don't want to talk about it anymore," she drew a deep breath and resumed walking next to him. "By the way, I have a few questions about my potion, Severus."

He nodded and looked down at her questioningly.

"After my mother died, I found out that she was a Seer. Not a very powerful one, mind you, but a Seer all the same. Do you think that the wormwood oil in my potion would have triggered a vision?"

Severus pondered this for a few moments. He thought carefully before he spoke.

"It is entirely possible that the oil caused you to have visions. When did you start having them?"

"Right after I took the potion the first time," she reminded him.

"When did your mother fall ill?" he asked.

"I really don't know. My father didn't notify me until she was on her deathbed," Noelle answered as truthfully as she could.

"It is also possible that she passed the gift onto you when she realized that she was dying," he said softly.

Noelle looked slightly confused, so he elaborated.

"Gifts like that, such as the Sight, are not really powers. Instead, they are more like a living presence in the host's body."

Noelle's navy eyes darkened with understanding.

"So you think that my mother passed them to me because she was dying?"

Severus nodded.

"She may have. She may also have been trying to warn you or help you make a decision. Have you ever felt a sense of déjà vu, or foreboding?"

Noelle nodded, already knowing what Severus was going to say.

"That isn't a real phenomena. It's actually people that we know, that love and care for us trying to guide us. They've already Seen the outcome. Using their abilities, they are trying to help us make the right choices."

Noelle was silent for a moment. Then her head came up sharply.

"Wait a minute. So she has always had this gift?"

Severus shrugged.

"She may have. Or she may have received it the same way you did."

Noelle smiled oddly and shook her head.

"She knew then. She knew all along!" she said angrily.

"What did she know?" Severus asked.

"She knew that I would become ill. She knew that I would die. She knew I would fall in love with Olivier, and then Sirius," Noelle clutched her head, which was beginning to pound. "She knew everything!"

Severus was quick to shake his head.

"She may not have, Noelle. Some people are easier to read than others. I imagine you are quite difficult to read," he offered.

Noelle raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know so much about Seers?" she inquired.

Severus blanched.

"My father is one. There aren't many men who are. He's very bitter about it, and I wanted to know as much as I could about it, so I would know how not to antagonize him. He's not a pleasant man."

Noelle smiled reassuringly, hoping that he would continue. She had never heard him talk about his family or his childhood.

"My mother and I realized that if we wanted a pleasant household, we wouldn't do anything or say anything that may cause him grief."

Noelle snorted.

"My father was never unpleasant, not until after I fell ill. I used to think that he was angry at the fates because of it. He was always very loving and attentive. After I was diagnosed, he became very distant,"

Severus squeezed her hand.

"How was he at your mother's funeral?"

Noelle gazed up at him.

"He was…different. Changed. He seemed much older, smaller even. He was not the same powerful man that he used to be. It's understandable. He cherished my mother. She was so sheltered and protected. He took care of everything, made every decision. You never questioned what Francois Lemieux says, but at the funeral, he was different. He looked at me like I was a stranger; a stranger that he thought would tell him that it was all one huge nightmare. I didn't know what to say to him because it wasn't my father. I don't even think I can explain how,"

"You don't have to, I understand. You've changed quite a bit in the last year, and you've matured very quickly. And losing your mother was a huge shock to him,"

Noelle nodded in agreement and shivered a little. The sun had set behind the trees and the night air was growing cooler.

"We should get you inside, I don't want you getting sick again," Severus said as he pulled her closer into his side.

"You take such good care of me," she teased as she tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow.

"That's because I love you," he said lightly, gazing deep into her navy eyes. There was a moment between them where she felt almost like she was falling. An owl's hoot made her jump, and the moment was over.

"We better hurry. It's getting late," she said huskily.

Severus nodded and picked up the pace. They walked in silence until they reached the base of the staircase that led to the towers.

"See you tomorrow?" Noelle asked him as she paused four stairs up.

Silently, he nodded. She smiled and scampered up the remaining stairs, leaving him alone to reminisce and wish.

* * *

Seventh year didn't seem to be any different than the last year, other than the incessant reminders of the upcoming N.E.W.T. exams. The five friends went about their routines, attending classes, finishing assignments and planning how to end their final year with a bang.

"I'm telling you guys," Sirius said at dinner one night. "We need to pull the end all of pranks. No more basic tricks, I'm talking about pranks that will make our names know for years to come."

As he spoke, he had a crusty roll in his hand. Being the enthusiastic person that he was, he was gesturing wildly with his hands, causing those around him to be showered with crumbs. After Noelle had shaken the crumbs from her hair for the third time, she yanked on his sleeve.

"Sirius, I understand your desire to be in the Hogwarts Hall of Fame, but are you thinking about what anything too severe might do to your future?" she asked, trying to choose her words carefully.

James laughed.

"I'm sure he hasn't thought that far in advance," he joked.

Sirius frowned and looked over to where Peter was sitting.

"Come on guys. Pete, you know what I'm talking about, right?" he asked.

Taken aback at actually being included in any real plans, Peter could only stutter an answer.

"It is our last year," he said nervously.

"See?" Sirius said, beaming widely.

"I'm in," Remus said from his seat next to Lily. He had his head down and was taking notes from a large book.

"What do you say, Prongs? Wouldn't be a prank without you!" Sirius cajoled.

James sat back in his seat and ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. He crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'm in," he muttered.

Sirius slapped his hands onto the table in front of him.

"Excellent! Now we just need to start planning," he exclaimed, glancing at Noelle and Lily in turn.

"Uh-huh. No way. I am NOT getting involved in this. In case you've forgotten, I'm Head Girl. It's bad enough that you've talked James into it," she steamed.

Sirius shrugged and turned to his girlfriend.

"Noelle? How about it?" he asked, his grey eyes bright and shining.

"Now you're dragging me into this? Oh Sirius, I don't know," she said, biting her lower lip.

His puppy dog eyes made her giggle.

"Okay, I'll think about it, but I'm not promising anything!" she warned.

Sirius settled back into his seat, grinning smugly.

"This is going to have to be really good," he said half to himself.

Noelle laughed slightly to herself as she finished the last of her dinner and watched Sirius develop a plan in his head. James was watching him as well, and found it highly amusing that his best friend was in fact talking to himself. The sound of someone clearing his or her throat behind her made Noelle spin in her seat.

"Hello Professor Dumbledore," she said warmly.

"Good evening, Miss Lemieux. I was wondering if I may have a word with you?" he asked.

Hesitantly, she nodded and rose from her seat.

"Not right now, after dinner will do just fine," he said, motioning her back into her seat.

"Tres bien, Professor," she said lightly, trying to squelch the nervousness that was building in her stomach.

He nodded and made his way out of the Great Hall.

Noelle swallowed and Sirius gripped her hand tightly.

"Are you okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"Oui, of course. I just wonder what he could want with me," she said, swinging her navy eyes to face him and at the same time wresting her fingers from his grasp.

"Want me to come with?" Sirius asked.

Noelle shook her head and kissed him on the cheek.

"No, I should probably go alone," she responded.

Her appetite gone, she pushed her plate away. Swinging her legs over the bench, she stood to leave the hall.

"I'm going to go wash my face before I have to meet him. I'll see you back in the common room, alright?"

Sirius nodded and watched her leave. There was something in the hesitation of her step and the slouch in her shoulders that told him all was not well. For the past few days, she had been jittery and nervous, not wanting to touch anyone or even be touched herself. She shied away from even the slightest physical contact even from him. The night before, he had come downstairs from his dorm after his shower to find her reading on the couch. He took his usual place on the couch and went to prop her feet up on his knees so he could rub them the way she liked. She had jerked her feet back from him and a wave of sheer terror had washed over her small features briefly before she recovered.

"It tickles," she said bashfully as she tucked her feet under herself.

He had accepted her excuse at face value. After all, feet were very ticklish in general. Later that night when he had leaned in to kiss her good night, she had only touched him with her lips. When he tried to pull her into an embrace, she had quickly wriggled out of his grasp and scampered up the stairs. He had shaken it off, attributing it to Noelle being Noelle. It hadn't really bothered him, until he saw how she was carrying herself. Her carriage, which was normally proud and erect, now almost made her blend into the crowd. Noelle had such a powerful life force that was nearly impossible to disguise. She had that certain _je ne said quoi _that drew people in whether she wanted them in or not.

"Earth to Sirius," Lily called out jovially.

He shook his head to clear it and smiled at the tall redhead.

"What's up?" he asked, trying to sound normal.

"Dinner's over," she pointed out.

"Oh," he said, slightly embarrassed when he realized he was sitting all by himself at the Gryffindor table. He pushed the bench back and jumped to his feet. He caught up to his friends that were waiting by the door for him. As he went, he tried desperately to rid his mind of the pessimistic thoughts that were traveling at top speed through his mind.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Noelle tugged nervously at her uniform robes as she paced the corridor outside of Professor Dumbledore's office. She had no idea what the man could want with her and her chest was constricting painfully. She reached into her pocket only to find it lacking the usual potion vial. Cursing herself for not asking Severus for more, she tried to breathe deeply enough to calm herself.

"Acid Pops," she said clearly.

The phoenix staircase sprung to life and she began to climb the stairs as it twirled its way up. Once it had stopped, she was facing a heavy oak door. She knocked rapidly on it and waited for Professor Dumbledore to invite her inside.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked trying to sound relaxed.

"Yes, please have a seat, Miss Lemieux," he answered, gesturing to the seat in front of his desk.

Noelle sat and folded her hands on her lap, anxious to know what he wanted.

"First of all, I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for the loss of your mother," he began.

Noelle's eyes filled with tears quickly and she ducked her head to hide them. She didn't speak until she had composed herself.

"Thank you, sir," she managed to say.

"And I understand that you've recently come into some new powers," he said with his eyes twinkling.

Noelle raised an eyebrow as she studied him.

"How on earth did you know that?" she asked.

"I have my ways," he answered mysteriously.

She chuckled slightly and squirmed in her seat as he continued.

"Your father owled me. He was quite concerned that you would be overwhelmed by this new power. He seems to think that when the power was passed to you, it intensified quite a bit."

Noelle nodded, not sure of what to say.

"Have you felt anything unusual?" Dumbledore asked mildly.

"Well, the other night, I gave Remus a hug to comfort him. I had a vision of him, but it was a good deal into the future. Afterwards, I felt weak and nauseous. I was sick all night, I barely slept."

Dumbledore templed his fingers and rested his chin on the tips. He closed his eyes before he spoke.

"Have you had another physical vision?" he asked.

Noelle was quick to shake her head.

"No, sir. Well, I haven't allowed myself to," she admitted.

He opened his eyes and gazed into her face.

"What do you mean?"

"I haven't allowed anyone to touch me long enough to see anything. I haven't really touched anyone else, either," she said, slightly embarrassed.

"Why is that?"

Noelle turned her face to the windows that faced out onto the grounds. The fading rays of the sun cast a golden glow over her features and he could see her bottom lip trembling slightly.

"Noelle?"

"I feel terrible when they touch me," she whispered. "I feel sadder than I've ever felt in my entire life. I feel like my heart has been wrenched out."

"Who is they, Miss Lemieux?" he asked.

"Remus, Lily, James and Sirius. I hugged Severus earlier and didn't feel anything," she responded.

He leaned forward in his seat and grabbed her hand. She gasped and tried to pull it from his grasp, but he was surprisingly strong for his age.

"What do you feel?" he asked her as she struggled, the panic evident in her face.

She stopped fighting him and closed her eyes tightly. Then she opened them in wonder.

"I feel nothing," she said.

"You didn't feel the same way that you do when you touch your friends?" he questioned.

She shook her head and he released her hand.

"What do you think it all means?" she asked, chewing on her lip.

"I don't have an answer for you, Miss Lemieux. I wish I did," he lied.

She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Is there anything I can do to block it? I mean, I can't even hug Sirius," she said as she blushed a dark red.

"There is a potion, if you're up to making it. It's rather complicated and not very easy to make."

"I can ask Severus for help," she said automatically.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.

"You have a close friendship with Mr. Snape, do you not?" he asked.

Noelle nodded, the crimson still lingering in her cheeks.

"He has been a very good friend," she said, choosing her words carefully.

"I understand," Dumbledore said, again with his eyes twinkling.

Noelle suddenly had the feeling that nothing happened on Hogwarts grounds that he didn't know about, and she was mortified. She cleared her throat and looked slightly over his head.

"Is there anything else you needed?" she asked, eager to escape his intuitive gaze.

"No, you may leave," he responded.

She jumped to her feet and hurried for the door.

"Oh, Miss Lemieux?"

She turned back to face him.

"Oui?"

"If one were so inclined, one may want to begin to study Occlumency," he said cryptically.

"Occlumency? What is that?" she asked.

He smiled widely at her.

"Look it up."

* * *

Scurrying down the stairs that led to the Slytherin common room, Noelle brightened when she saw someone about to give the password. Quickening her pace, she caught up to the taller girl. When she turned to face her, Noelle's stomach froze.

"Can I help you Noelle?" Pamela asked reluctantly.

She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders.

"I was wondering if you could tell Severus that I need to speak with him. It's rather urgent," she said, smiling at her even though she made her want to punch something.

"Ah, Severus. Does Sirius know you're having a nighttime rendezvous with Mr. Snape?" she asked tauntingly.

"Yes Pamela, I assure you. It's all on the up and up," she said, clenching her teeth together.

"Well I suppose I could help you out, just this once. After all, we're practically family, aren't we? Oops, maybe we're not."  
Noelle put her hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side.

"Does it make you feel better to put other people down? Are you really that insecure?" she asked, trying to hold her anger in check.

Pamela narrowed her blue-green eyes dangerously.

"I assure you, Noelle. You have not a clue what belonging to a pureblood family is like here in Britain. Did you really think that their family would accept you? Oh, you poor thing; you did! Part of you had to know it was never going to happen."

Noelle's jaw dropped as the heat of anger coursed through her body.

"What makes you so much better than me? How dare you insult my breeding and my bloodlines! You're nothing but a mean-spirited little wretch, and someday you get what's coming to you, and I assure _you_, you'll be alone and miserable in the future."

As Noelle said this, her vision swirled and she did indeed see an older Pamela and she did in fact look miserable. But there was something else in her face as well. It was regret and repentance.

Pamela laughed merrily at her, not believing a word of what Noelle was saying.

"Am I supposed to believe that you are a Seer? That someone like you was blessed with such an extraordinary gift? I highly doubt it, Noelle."  
Noelle smiled in a way that could only be called cunning, relishing for the first time the gift her mother had passed on to her. Something in Noelle's smile made the conceited sneer on Pamela's face disappear and a look of utter loathing and hatred took its place. Quickly she masked it with arrogance.

"So why are you looking for Severus? Having a late study session in the dungeons?" she asked, her voice low and purposeful.

The blood drained from Noelle's face and she took a step back unconsciously.

"That's what I thought. Maybe all those rumors are true then," Pamela said cruelly.

Noelle shook her head, tears building under her lashes.

"Never mind. I'll talk to him tomorrow," she whispered as she turned to escape the hatred she felt radiating from her body.

* * *

Noelle hurried up the stairs to Gryffindor tower. She impatiently gave the Fat Lady the password and scrambled through the portrait hole. Sirius was seated on the couch with James, both of their heads bent over a large piece of parchment. Remus was reclining in a lounge chair. He looked happier than he had in weeks.

"You look happy," she commented as she tried to shake off the uncomfortable feeling that Pamela had given her.

Remus grinned and waved a letter at her. Noelle peered at it and instantly recognized Nicolette's handwriting on the page. She wiggled her eyebrows and grinned back at him.

"Well? What does it say?" she asked.

"She's coming to London. Her sister is coming here, and she convinced her husband that she could use a vacation as well. She'll be here next week," Remus said with his golden eyes glowing.

"Are you going to see her?" Noelle asked teasingly.

"Are you kidding? Wild manticores couldn't keep me from London next week," he said.

"And we're helping," Sirius added from the couch.

Noelle made her way to where the boys were sitting and glanced over Sirius' shoulder.

"The Marauder's Map," she read aloud. "What's that?"

"This," James said proudly, "is the epitome of our seven years of hard work here at Hogwarts. It's a masterpiece."

"It's lovely," Noelle offered. "But what is it?"

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Take a look, love," he told her, shaking it out so it was completely open.

She brushed her hair back and leaned forward to read it. She gave a start when she saw a tiny dot with '_Noelle Lemieux'_ over it, next to two other tiny dots that read '_James Potter'_ and '_Sirius Black_'. These dots were in a large rectangle labeled '**Gryffindor Common Room**'.

"What on earth," she wondered. "Is this the entire castle?"

Sirius nodded with a sly grin on his face.

"And everyone in it. It shows where they are and what they are doing, at any given time," he said gleefully.

"How did you ever do this? This is seriously the best bit of magic I've ever seen," she said wondrously.

Sirius pretended to be modest.

"Oh really, it was nothing," he gloated.

Noelle leaned closer, squinting her eyes. Where the dungeons should have been, the parchment was ripped off. The corridor stopped at the top of the stairs that led to the underground chambers.

"What happened here? It looks as if it was torn off," she observed.

Remus nodded.

"It was," he said, trying not to laugh.

"Why would you tear a piece off?" Noelle wondered. "That may be a useful pathway to be observing."

James nodded in agreement.

"Well, if _someone_ hadn't _smoked_ it, it would still be there," he said witheringly, swinging his eyes to Sirius, who turned his face away guiltily.

"Hey, I don't remember you guys passing on the dutchie," he protested loudly to the uproarious laughter of Lily and Noelle.

Once everyone had stopped laughing at Sirius, Noelle continued to study the parchment. Soon enough, her eyes had found what she was looking for. Severus was in a small room at the top of the Astronomy tower. From the way the dot was moving slowly back and forth from wall to wall, she assumed he was pacing. Like her, he did his best thinking while on his feet.

Noelle yawned and stretched her arms over her head. Lily noticed this and glanced at her friend.

"Why are you so tired? It's still pretty early," Lily said.

Noelle shrugged.

"I don't know. But I'm not ready to go to bed; I'll be up at dawn if I do," she answered. Checking the small silver watch she wore, she saw that it was only 8:30. "Maybe I'll go for a walk."

Sirius looked up at her from the floor in front of the fire.

"Want some company?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"No, not tonight," she said, leaning down to brush his head with her lips.

Leaving them all staring curiously at her, she swept from the room with her robes flapping behind her.

Once she was out of the portrait hole, Noelle sped up. She practically ran for the stairs that led to the Astronomy tower before a sickening thought slammed into her mind causing her to stop in her tracks. The map. That stupid map would show her with Severus. Even though she was looking for him with the most innocent of intentions, Sirius undoubtedly would be following her on that map and he wouldn't believe that she was only looking for him to ask him for more potion. _Nowhere is safe_, she thought to herself as she slid down the wall and sat on the cold stone floor. She felt as if she was being watched at exactly that moment as well, and she probably was. No matter how much Sirius claimed that he trusted her, she knew that he really didn't. She didn't really blame him either. Most of the time, she didn't really trust herself.

"Dammit!" she swore out loud.

Slapping her knees with her hands, she got to her feet slowly. She needed potion and she needed it soon. Granted, now that her secret was out and everyone knew about her illness, she didn't get the anxiety driven attacks anymore, but she still wasn't immune to them totally.

As she turned to slowly head back to Gryffindor tower, she heard someone coming down the stairs. Knowing it could only be Severus; she stopped to wait for him. But it wasn't Severus. It was Peter Pettigrew.

"Oh, hello Peter. Out for a walk?" she asked him.

"Yes. I needed to clear my head," he replied.

Noelle smiled.

"I understand. How are your classes?" she asked, struggling to find something to talk about with him.

"They're fine."

Wow, he's about as talkative as a brick wall, Noelle thought to herself.

"Well, it's getting late. I guess I'll head back to the tower," she said lamely.

"Good night," he answered as he went to walk by her. He slipped on the last stair and almost fell. She reached out to steady him without thinking. The moment her hand touched his bare arm, her vision went bleary. She felt pain and weakness, despair and desperation. She saw an adult Peter with another adult male but she couldn't make out his face, even though something about his proud carriage was so familiar to her. Wrenching her hand away from his arm, she stumbled back. Her stomach lurched and she felt incredibly queasy. He was looking at her curiously.

"Are you alright, Noelle?" he asked.

She couldn't speak for fear that she would be sick. She nodded and turned to hurry back to Gryffindor Tower. Every fiber of her being was telling her to run away from him as fast as she could, but she had to use the stone wall to keep her balance as she staggered through the long corridors. Finally she was in sight of the portrait hole. Thankful that it was only a few meters away, she tried to straighten her posture. She felt herself sinking to the floor even as she tried to stay upright.

"Sirius!" she called out weakly, seconds before she hit the floor.


	20. Chapter 20

"I think she's just fainted."

A voice, sounding somewhat far away and tinny echoed in her ears. Noelle grimaced and raised her hand to rub her tired eyes.

"Oh, good. She's coming around," said another voice, which she recognized as Lily.

She opened her eyes. Her lids felt heavy with fatigue and the light from the torch on the wall made her eyes sting. She blinked rapidly and tried to sit up. Once her eyes were adjusted to the lights, she was able to focus on the people crouching next to her. Sirius was holding her hand and staring into her eyes, the concern etched over his forehead. Lily was talking to the Fat Lady.

"Yes, I only fainted," Noelle said, her voice raspy.

"Why did you faint? Are you feeling okay?" Sirius asked her.

Noelle nodded.

"I feel much better now. I didn't really eat that much at dinner," she offered as an excuse.

Sirius nodded and helped her to her feet. She wobbled slightly and then found her balance. The portrait hole swung open and she smiled at the Fat Lady in gratitude. Once inside the common room she sat on the red leather sofa next to the fireplace. She leaned back against the cushions and closed her eyes again. The memory of what had happened when she touched Peter was still very prominent in her mind. Abruptly she sat up, wincing at her pounding headache.

"How much do you trust Peter?" she asked Sirius.

Sirius rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

"Not you too, Noelle," he responded tiredly.

"I'm serious, Sirius," she said, noticing how funny that sounded. "How much do you trust him?"

"I trust him. Okay?" he answered. "Why do you ask?"

Noelle shook her head.

"No reason," she said.

Sirius raised a black eyebrow.

"There must be a reason, Noelle. Otherwise, you wouldn't have asked me that. What's going on?" he pressed.

"I just don't," she answered. "There's something about him that's creepy and weird. He's not normal, Sirius."

Sirius snorted.

"What do you mean he's not normal? He's just a little awkward, he hasn't found out who he is supposed to be yet. But he's a good friend, Noelle."

"I just don't trust him," Noelle repeated. "And as for not knowing who he is yet, that's a crock of shit," she spit out.

Sirius laughed, amused at how she cursed.

"Noelle, you're being far too judgmental. He's really a good person, you just have to get to know him."

Noelle shook her head vehemently.

"No, he's evil. I know it, I've Seen it," she said without thinking.

Sirius' grey eyes grew dark and narrow.

"Evil? Has he done something to you?"

Noelle shook her head quickly.

"Then stop being so damn cryptic. What do you mean, he's evil?"

Noelle sighed, realizing that Sirius didn't know she was a Seer. Not really ready to share that knowledge with him, or anyone else for that matter, she decided once again to hide something from the man she loved.

"Just trust me when I ask you to watch your back. I don't think he's capable of being anyone's friend. He seems too…" she fumbled for the right word.

"Persuadable?" James asked from the stairs.

He came over to the couch and touched Noelle's forehead lightly, as if he were looking for signs of a fever.

She nodded.

"Yes, that may be the right word," she said, moving slightly away from his touch.

"I think you're losing it," Sirius said, only half teasing.

Noelle glared at him.

"I'm only looking out for you guys," she argued with him. "Don't criticize me for caring about you all."

Sirius reached for her hand, but she yanked it away.

"Noelle, I'm only kidding with you. Relax."

"Okay, if you guys are going to start fighting again, I'm going back upstairs," James said as he headed to the staircase.

She continued to glare at Sirius, but it was only making her head hurt worse. She tried to ease the tension in her head by massaging her temples. She decided to change the subject.

"How did you find me?" she asked.

"The Fat Lady started calling for me through the portrait hole. She said that there was someone out there looking for me. When I came outside, I found you on the floor," he answered. "Where did you go?"

Noelle raised a blonde eyebrow.

"You mean you don't know?"

"How am I supposed to know where you went?" Sirius asked, truly baffled.

"You weren't watching me on the map?" she asked accusingly.

Sirius laughed.

"No! You think I was spying on you?" he asked her.

Noelle slightly relaxed.

"No, I was just wondering if that's how you found me," she said.

Sirius lay back against the cushions of the couch.

"Noelle, I promise, I was not spying on you."

She quickly decided that he was in fact telling the truth. She relaxed back against his arm. He wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled her closer to kiss her. She eagerly turned her face towards his and kissed him back. As their kisses grew deeper and more passionate, Noelle's mind began to drift away.

_It was a rainy morning. She was lying in a large bed that had pale yellow sheets. She rolled over on her side and saw a dark haired sleeping form next to her. Sirius' eyes opened and without saying a word he began to kiss her. They stroked each other's bodies, both of them knowing what made the other feel the best. The rain pounded at the windows as they made love, each of them moaning as their pleasure grew. As she felt the familiar tingling in her abdomen and saw the telling wrinkles in Sirius' forehead, the sun began to break through the dark clouds. The golden light pooled around their bodies as she reached her climax with Sirius right behind her._

"You're crying," he said.

"What?" she asked as she pulled away.

Touching her cheek, she realized he was right.

"Are you alright Noelle?" he asked her, with the worry evident in his face.

"I'm fine," she assured him as she started to kiss him again, wanting to go back to the vision.

_After they had both climaxed, Sirius bowed his forehead so it was touching Noelle's. When his heart had returned to a normal beat, he rolled off of her and pulled her into his arms. They kissed softly and he entwined his long fingers with hers. A ray from the newly risen sun hit the large diamond on her left hand, throwing rainbows across the room. The glint caught her eye and caused her to smile widely. _

_"Like your ring, love?" he asked her huskily. _

_"Not half as much as I like you," she responded as she leaned in for another kiss._

Noelle was smiling broadly even as Sirius was kissing her.

"What is going on? A minute ago, you were crying. Now you're smiling. What's up?"

Noelle shook her head and shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm not sad; I don't know why I was crying. In fact, I'm very happy. Kissing you always makes me happy," she said as she leaned towards him.

He pulled away.

"Noelle, there's something really strange about you lately. Sometimes you can't stand to have me touch you, and then you can't keep your hands off of me. It's really confusing," he said.

She bowed her head, trying to figure out what she was going to tell him. Deciding that the truth would probably be easier than lying, she sighed in resignation and began to speak.

"My mother, she was a Seer. She wasn't exactly powerful, but she could feel things more than she could See them. When she died, she passed her gift onto me. It seems that my ability is through touch. While I can See things sometimes, I can feel more. It's hard to explain," she offered when she saw the baffled look on Sirius' face. "For example, I touched Remus' leg the other night. I Saw him, an older him, holding a child on his knee and smiling. Not only could I See it, but also I could feel his happiness. Do you understand?"

Sirius nodded slowly.

"But if you feel happiness, then I don't understand why you wouldn't touch me."

She swung her eyes from his and focused out the window at the night sky.

"I don't always feel happiness. When I touched you last week, all I felt was pain and suffering. I felt despondence and agony and I realized that I was feeling that because I was touching you! That means that in your future, you're going to be so deeply hurt that it is echoing throughout time, and I can feel it! It's torturing me in the here and now!" she sobbed as she fell into his arms.

"Shh, Noelle. Nothing is set in stone, and nothing is for certain. As long as you are in my life, I'll never feel pain or suffering. You're everything to me, and you're all that I want," he whispered into her hair as he held her tightly.

"I want to believe that Sirius," she said as she wiped the tears from her face. "My mother bore everything silently. She had to have Seen or at least felt what my life has been like and will be like. Yet she never said a word. I'm not as strong as she was."

"You are strong, love. You're strong in different ways than your mother. Not many girls would be able to walk with their heads held high after what that jackass did to you last year. You're strong for your friends, and you're strong for me. I can be strong for you, if you'll let me."

She wearily picked up her head from his shoulder.

"Severus is making me a potion to block it all. I don't want to have these visions anymore and I don't want to know the pain that my friends are going to go through. I just want to have a normal life! Why does this all fall on me?" she shrieked.

She didn't feel Sirius stiffen when she mentioned Severus' name. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her slightly as if to clear her head.

"Listen Noelle. Life isn't fair. We've got to do the best we can with what we're given and that's that. I love you," he said fiercely. "Nothing is going to change that. I'm going to love you for the rest of my life, you got that? If you're suffering, then so am I! We bear it _together_, because that's what people who love each other do!"

She wiped her hand over her face again.

"No one has ever been there for me like that Sirius."

He sank to his knees in front of her and took her hands in his. Staring directly into her navy eyes, he spoke softly but firmly.

"I am, Noelle. When life gets too difficult for you, I'll hold you up. I'm not going to promise that there will be no pain or suffering in our lives, because if there isn't, then you don't learn to cherish the good stuff. But I swear to you, I'll never leave your side."

His gaze delved deep into her soul and there was an undeniable connection. For that brief moment, they understood each other fully and completely. She nodded slowly and he put his hand on the back of her neck to pull her in for a kiss. Their lips touched and the pact was sealed. If there was ever any doubt in her mind before this moment, it was all obliterated.

* * *

Although Noelle trusted Sirius completely, she couldn't help but think that his trust in her wasn't absolute. Every time she saw that damn map sticking out of one of their bags, her stomach clenched. What made her feel totally sick to her stomach was the fact that Peter was now a constant in their universe. He was always with Remus, James and Sirius, and the worst of it was that Remus and James seemed to have warmed up to him. She learned that what they had thought impossible had actually been achieved. Peter had become an Animagus.

"How in the world did he manage to accomplish that?" Lily wondered aloud as she walked into the dining hall with Noelle.

Noelle shrugged, just as bewildered as Lily was.

"He did have an awful lot of help, from three of the sharpest wizards in our year. They could teach anyone anything," she stated.

As the two girls approached the Gryffindor table, Severus caught Noelle's eye and motioned her over. After glancing around to make sure Sirius wasn't in the Hall yet, she hurried over to the Slytherin table.

"What's up?"

"I heard you needed to see me the other night. Is everything alright?"

Noelle nodded.

"Except for the fact that I had to speak to that cow Pamela, everything is fine. I just needed some more potion. I'm all out," she explained.

He raised a dark eyebrow.

"How did you let yourself get so low? That's not good, Noelle," he cautioned.

She looked over her shoulder, making sure that Sirius still wasn't present.

"I know, I just lost track of how much I had left. Can you make me some more?" she asked hurriedly.

"Of course I can. Meet me in the dungeons tonight?" he asked.

A tremor of nervousness passed across her heart and she blushed. Severus, seeing her face turning red, instantly remembered the last time they had had a rendezvous in the dungeons. Their eyes met and his chest contracted with an ache for the girl he couldn't have.

"Yes, I'll be there. 8:30?" she asked, trying to cover the awkward moment.

"Sounds good," he said as he busied himself with the sheaves of parchment in front of him.

She nodded and turned on her heel to go back to the Gryffindor table. Just her luck, Sirius was entering as she left the Slytherins.

"What's up Noelle?" he asked, shooting a glare over at the gangly student who was now reading a thick book voraciously.

"Nothing. I needed more potion, so I had to ask Severus to make some for me."

"You can't brew it yourself?"

"I can barely brew a Wit Sharpening Potion, Sirius. I'm totally clueless at that craft."

Sirius sighed heavily.

"Have him give you the recipe, and I'll brew it for you," he said.

Noelle began to panic at the thought of losing the small interaction that she was now limited to with Severus. As her mind raced to think of a way to tell Sirius that it was a horrible idea, Lily saved her ass.

"Come on Sirius, you're not exactly the Brew Master," she said teasingly.

"I'm perfectly capable of making a potion, Lily," Sirius said tightly.

"I don't know if he's willing to give out the recipe just yet. I think he wants to try to market it to healers and such," Noelle said, thinking of a rapid excuse.

Sirius eyed her with suspicion in his eyes. Noelle's face remained a mask, but her heart was pounding in her chest.

"Fine, it was just a suggestion," he said sullenly.

Noelle leaned in and kissed him softly.

"I know, and I love you for it. Besides, I can think of better things to do with you than watch you brew potions," she whispered in his ear.

A wicked grin spread across his face and he kissed her back.

"Care to enlighten me on some of those things?" he said enticingly.

"Anytime," she said as she covertly grabbed his rear end. Then as if it was perfectly normal for her to have done so, she sat next to Lily and began to eat her dinner.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 

The days flew by, and Quidditch season had soon arrived. Sirius moped around the common room so frequently that even James had noticed.

"Okay Padfoot. What's the problem?"

Sirius sighed heavily.

"Quidditch. I miss it."

"Well, I'm the captain this year, and Sara's old decisions don't apply anymore. You want your spot back? It's yours."

Sirius' grey eyes lit up like James had told him there would be two Christmases this year.

"You mean it?"

"No, I'm lying to you. Of course I mean it."

Sirius jumped up and grabbed James in a wild embrace. Then, as if he had realized how unmanly that looked, he dropped his arms to his side and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Thanks mate. That's great," he said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Noelle rolled her eyes at the two and began to focus on her Charms text again.

"Lily, how can you like this subject? It's so hard!" she complained.

Lily laughed and flicked her wand at the table. A tray of snacks and a hot pot of tea appeared, causing Noelle's eyes to grow wide.

"Show off," she groaned even as she reached for a biscuit.

"It's really not that hard, Noelle. For the life of me, I can't figure out how you do what you do in Transfiguration," she offered.

Noelle mulled over this thought and slyly pulled out her wand. Aiming it discreetly at Sirius and James, she whispered an incantation. Instantly their school robes turned into Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy outfits. Lily snorted and tea flew out of her nose. The boys turned to see what was so funny and caught a glimpse of what Noelle had done to them. She held her wand in front of her face and blew across the tip like she was blowing the smoke from a gun. Winking seductively at Sirius, she managed to keep a straight face for all of five seconds before the laughter exploded from her lungs.

"Put us right, Noelle. Now!" Sirius seethed.

"Oh, but I truly think that red and white gingham is a good look for both of you. Don't you agree, Lily?"

Lily, still trying to recover from the tea incident could only nod.

"Now!" he shouted.

"Spoilsport," she grumbled as she reversed the hex.

After they were returned to normal, James checked his watch.

"You haven't been on a broom in a while, so why don't we go fly a bit? At least the weather's not too bad today," he said.

Sirius jumped to his feet and rushed for the stairs. Within minutes he was back, dressed in practice clothes and had his broom tightly clenched in his left hand.

"Ready."

James laughed and they headed for the portrait hole.

"See you later," Sirius called over his shoulder as they scrambled out of the hole.

"I swear, say Quidditch around Sirius and I don't even exist anymore," Noelle complained as she stretched her legs out in front of her.

"Umm, hello?" Lily said, waving an arm in front of Noelle's face. "You're talking to James Potter's girlfriend here."

Noelle wiggled her eyebrows.

"So it's official now, hmm?"

"Yeah, it's been official for a while. Since this summer," Lily confessed.

Noelle smiled widely.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Lily raised a red eyebrow.

"You had enough on your plate this summer."

"Well, anyways. I'm really happy for you. I knew that it was only a matter of time before the tension between you two became too much to bear."

"We're moving in together after we graduate," Lily blurted out.

"What?"

Lily nodded and blushed. She sat next to Noelle and summoned her notebook over to them.

"We found an apartment in London. We move in the week after graduation," she said, her emerald eyes glowing with happiness. She opened the notebook and showed Noelle the pictures.

"Oh, Lily!"

Noelle threw her arms around her friend and hugged her tightly. As she touched her, her vision grew dark and she saw flashing lights.

_"Lily, go! GO! I'll hold him off."_

_"No, I'm not leaving you!"_

Noelle yelped and pulled back from her friend.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked nervously.

Noelle shook her head and pasted a smile on her face.

"I got a shock when I hugged you," she lied.

"Oh, sorry! But anyways, I want you to come see it at Christmas. Please say you will."

Noelle shrugged.

"Where else do I have to go?" she joked.

"We're going to have so much fun decorating this place. James said I could do whatever I want with it, as long as he can have a 'man-town'."

"What's a man-town?" Noelle asked.

"A room that's free from everything feminine. In other words, a room that he and Sirius and Remus can get ridiculously drunk in and not have to worry about breaking anything," she said as she rolled her eyes. "It seemed a small price to pay."

Noelle laughed, but her mind was still on what she had just heard. It had to have been James and Lily, but what on earth was he talking about?

"I need to go to the library. Want to come with?" Lily asked.

Noelle shook her head.

"I really need to find Severus. I need more potion desperately," she explained.

"Okay. Oh, and by the way? The Marauder's Map is in my bag. I borrowed it to sneak to the library the other night. So, you're safe," Lily said with a wink.

Noelle smiled in relief.

"How did you know I was nervous about that?"

"I can read your mind," Lily said in a spooky voice.

Noelle swatted at her friend as she headed for the portrait hole, much more confident than she had been ten minutes earlier.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­--

Noelle scampered down the stairs that led to the dungeons. She knew exactly where Severus hid himself, even on beautiful Saturday afternoons. As she approached the chamber that he usually occupied, she smelled something vile coming out the doorway. Hesitant to interrupt anything serious, she poked her head slowly around the doorframe.

"I know you're there, Noelle. Come on in," he called without lifting his eyes from the thick book in front of him.

She smiled bashfully and entered the room. She sat on the dusty desk to the side of the table where he had his cauldron set up.

"What's up?" he asked her.

"Not much. I need some more potion, remember?"

"I remember. I remember you were supposed to meet me here last week."

Noelle blanched.

"Oh, Severus, I completely forgot. I'm so sorry," she apologized.

"Whatever. It's not important," he said sullenly.

"Severus, I'm sorry. I honestly forgot!" she protested, not mentioning the reason she forgot was because Sirius had convinced her that it wasn't too cold to go to the astronomy tower to 'look at the stars'.

"Your potion is over there," he said, gesturing to a wooden chest on another table. Slowly she made her way over to it. It was made of deep rosewood and her initials were inlaid in the cover with mother of pearl. She gasped and pulled out her wand. It was nearly identical. She lifted the cover and tucked inside were twenty small vials of her potion, all set into their own compartment.

"This is for me?" she asked in wonder.

"Yeah. I had it made for you in Paris. It's by the same company who made your wand."

"I cannot accept this. It's far too beautiful for me," she said awkwardly.

Finally he lifted his head from his book. His black hair was pulled halfway off of his face and his cheeks were pink. He had never looked more handsome.

"Well, I don't know anyone else with your initials. So you should probably accept it," he said wryly.

She offered a small smile and ran her fingers over the lid.

"It's so beautiful," she whispered. "Thank you."

He smiled.

"You're welcome," he replied.

She moved to his side to kiss his cheek in thanks. He quickly backed away from her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Don't kiss me. I really don't think I can take it if you do."

She looked confused.

"Noelle, I can't handle being around you and not being able to touch you, or kiss you, or hold you! It's next to impossible to even be in the same room with you. It's pure torture," he said sadly.

She blinked, not exactly sure what to say.

"I just can't be around you without wanting to be all over you," he said softly, turning so his back was to her. "I don't think it's a good idea if we meet in private anymore."

Tears started to flow down her face.

"You think it's easy for me, Severus? That I don't want to throw myself into your arms and lose myself in your kisses, _each and every time I see you_?" she said angrily.

"No, Noelle, I really don't."

"Why?" she pleaded.

"Cause you're with him and not me! Isn't that a big giveaway right there, that Sirius Black means more to you than I do and that he always will?"

"I was yours first, Severus," she whispered through her tears.

"You were never mine, love. I only borrowed you from him," he said with his back still facing her.

"How dare you say that!" she shrieked, stamping her foot.

"Cause it's the truth Noelle! You went running back to him and you begged him to forgive you. And he did, and I know why. It may be the one thing that he and I agree on. We would rather have a piece of you than nothing at all."

Finally he turned to face her.

"I love you Noelle. And I love you in spite of what you are. You're an idealist and a romantic one at that. You claim that all you want is someone that loves you unconditionally. Well, I am that someone, but it's not good enough for you! By loving you, a man could destroy himself, simply because you will destroy him first! No one person could ever be capable of loving you as much as you want him to," he said woodenly.

Shocked into total silence, Noelle backed towards the door. With the case containing her potions in her right hand, she used her left to fumble for the doorknob. Once she had it open, she fled the room and his haunted eyes. After she had left, Severus Snape sank onto the bench behind his cauldron and covered his eyes, not believing what he had just done.

--

Gasping with sobs, Noelle rushed through the corridors, not really knowing where she was going. She felt horribly abandoned and betrayed. There were grains of truth to what he had said. Okay, there were boulders of truth, but she didn't want to admit that to him. She knew that she hadn't been fair to Severus, but it still hurt to hear him say it. She burst through a set of side doors and found herself out in the courtyard. She sank onto the first bench she saw and buried her face in her hands. She wiped the tears from her eyes and stared out over the grounds. High above the Quidditch pitch she could see James and Sirius making laps and tossing a Quaffle between them. How was she supposed to choose? How does one pick between the man who had saved your life literally and the man without whom life wouldn't be worth living?

No one had ever spoken to her in that way before. She thought about what Severus had said. With building fear she began to wonder if he was right. Maybe she was destined to destroy people. Look at Olivier. He had been a broken man when she left him at Nicky's wedding and what did she do about it? She had left him alone on the dance floor, haunted by the demons that no doubt pursued him. How many times could she lie to Sirius and get away with it? How many times would he take her back before growing tired of it? And Severus. He had done nothing to deserve the way she had treated him. _You seduced him_, the voice in her head said. _He tried to bring up Sirius and you shushed him and kept going._

Noelle threw her head back and stared at the stars that were starting to make their appearance. It's a funny thing that happens, when someone forces you to face the truth. She felt naked and exposed and there was nothing to do to fix it. In the past, she would have run away and hid until it had all blown over. _But where do you run when you're hiding from yourself,_ she wondered. She saw Sirius' face, glowing with youth and promise. Severus' ebony eyes, that held more fire and passion than one would expect. Olivier's crooked grin, the one that made her knees tremble when he flashed it at her. Severus had been right. She had never felt loved enough. No matter how many kisses, embraces or soft caresses were bestowed upon her, they had ever been enough. Her body and soul craved affection from the three of them, regardless of who would get hurt in the process.

She felt unstable and out of control. She needed to get away, but how far could she run before her own demons found her?


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

* * *

Slowly Noelle withdrew into herself. Her smiles were half-hearted and somewhat weak. Sirius sometimes had to ask her the same question three times before she finally realized he was talking to her. She drifted through the castle, not paying attention to anyone or anything. In classes, she sat in the back, sometimes taking notes, but usually staring at the scratched and scarred table in front of her. In Potions, she pointedly avoided glancing over at the side of the dungeons where the Slytherins sat, taking especially great care not to look at Severus. There were times when she was sure that she could feel his ebony eyes fixed on her, and it took every ounce of her willpower not to return his gaze. Inside, her heart contracted painfully when she recalled what he had said to her. What hurt the most was that most of it was true.

James and Sirius were far too involved in Quidditch to be concerned about Noelle, but Lily noticed. After dinner one night, after the boys had headed out to the pitch to practice, she cornered Noelle in the stairwell of the tower.

"What the hell is going on with you?" she fired at her.

Instantly defensive, Noelle's walls went up.

"I have not a clue what you're talking about," she lied.

Lily nodded emphatically.

"Yes you do. You've been moving around like you're in a trance ever since," her eyebrows went up as she realized the timeframe. "Ever since you went to meet Snape. What did you do, Noelle?"

Noelle's navy eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I have done nothing. Nothing! Why do you always assume that I have done something wrong?"

Lily's stony gaze softened.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to attack you like that. It's just that I know that you and Snape, you know, have a history."

Noelle laughed bitterly.

"A history? You don't have to be so polite about it. I slept with him; you can say it. I'm not ashamed. What I don't appreciate is how you automatically assume that I am to blame. Did you ever think that maybe for once I have done nothing wrong?"

"I'm sorry Noelle, but I'm worried about you! You're like a zombie lately," she said.

Noelle sank onto the stone stairs and rubbed her forehead. Lily took a seat beside her and waited.

"When I went to get my potion from Severus, he gave me a beautiful gift. I tried to kiss him on the cheek to thank him and he pulled away," Noelle gave a sniff and swiped at the tears that had gathered in her eyes. "He told me that I would destroy every man that ever loved me. He said that no man would ever love me enough to satisfy me."

Lily rubbed her back gently and rested her head on Noelle's shoulder.

"And you want to know something? He's right. If you said to me today, 'Choose one', I couldn't do it! I can't imagine living without Sirius, but then again, saying goodbye to Severus is unimaginable! Not to mention never seeing or speaking to Olivier again! I am a terrible person Lily," she sobbed.

Lily tightened her arm around her friend's shoulder.

"You're not a terrible person, you're a seventeen year old girl. No one is saying that you have to choose one of them right now! It's perfectly normal to be confused."

"But you're not! You love James and you two will be together forever and you'll love each other until the day you die. There is no one else for you, and there never will be. It's fated and I've Seen it."

Lily raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"You've Seen it? What do you mean?"

Noelle sighed heavily, as if she carried the burdens of the world on her shoulders.

"I'm a Seer. So was my mother. When she died, she passed her gift to me. So when I say that you and James are meant to be together, I'm telling the truth," she stated.

Lily blushed a deep crimson as she slowly digested Noelle's words.

"But I see nothing about myself. No clue as to what my future will bring, or whom I am supposed to be with. Maybe I'm not supposed to be with anyone. Maybe I am meant to be alone forever," she said sadly.

"I highly doubt that Noelle. You have far too much love inside you. You'll figure it out, I promise. You're only seventeen!"

"My mother was married at eighteen," Noelle said.

"It was a different time then, and you know it. Plus, I'm sure she didn't really have much say."

Noelle smiled weakly.

"My father had chosen her for his wife before she was even at Beauxbatons. She knew her future at ten years old. Sometimes I wish I had never come to Hogwarts," she confessed.

Lily looked highly offended.

"No, don't get me wrong, I'm glad that I did. But when I was at Beauxbatons, I knew exactly where my life was going. I was going to marry Olivier at eighteen, and have a few children. My life was planned and practically set in stone."

"But then you got sick," Lily said softly.

"Then I got sick. My father decided that since I would probably not make it to see my twenty first birthday, that there was no point in Olivier and I continuing our relationship. He never thought to ask either of us how we felt. He just moved us around like we were game pieces. He lied to me, he lied to Olivier and he destroyed our relationship. Do you know what Olivier told me, the night of my sixteenth birthday?"

Lily shook her head.

"He told me that he didn't care if I was going to die tomorrow, he wanted to be there holding my hand. He said it never mattered to him that I might not live very long; at least we'd have a few years together. When I heard that, I've never been so angry in my entire life. Not at just my father, but also at myself. When I came to Hogwarts, I never expected to meet anyone like Sirius, and in fact, I was completely forbidden from starting a new relationship. But I did meet him, and in spite of everything, I fell for him, still believing that Olivier was the one who didn't want to be with me anymore. When I found out how my father had lied, well, you were there. You remember how confused I was. I still am," she said softly.

"You don't look at Olivier in the same way that you look at Sirius. Olivier is your past, but Sirius is your future. Do you want to know what I see? I look at you two, and I see two people who are very much in love with each other, but they are both too proud or too stubborn, or maybe both. Neither of you want to admit to each other how much you need the other."

Lily stood and offered her hand to help her friend stand up. Noelle raised her navy eyes and took the assistance.

"You're still young, Noelle. But Severus is right. The day will come when you will have to make a choice," Lily said wisely.

She trotted down the stairs, leaving Noelle pondering her words.

* * *

It took three weeks of Noelle being silent and withdrawn before Sirius realized something was amiss. Choosing not to confront her directly, knowing her well enough to know she would run, instead he decided to romance her. He arranged with James to borrow the invisibility cloak, which he then enlarged enough to make a tent to place on the balcony of the Astronomy tower. He draped it over three poles to form a large invisible tee-pee. Inside, he placed a small round table and town chairs. Using his wand, he conjured a chandelier and small fairies to hover over the table, giving the room a warm soft glow. After he had the tent decorated to his liking, he scurried down to the kitchens where he conversed with the house-elves about making a traditional French meal. He ordered a cassoulet, coq au vin and a few bottles of wine. He knew that the house-elves had access to the private cellars where Dumbledore kept his own stock, and he also knew that a few bottles wouldn't be missed.

Once back in Gryffindor tower, he showered and put on clean robes. He shaved off the slight stubble that had grown throughout the day and brushed his teeth. Checking his reflection in the mirror, he was satisfied that he looked good. Then he set off to find Noelle.

She wasn't hard to find. Just like the past twenty days, she was curled up on a window seat tucked in the corner of the common room. Her head was resting against the icy glass and she was staring out the window at the frozen grounds. He touched her lightly on the shoulder and she jumped.

"Sorry love, I didn't mean to scare you," he said apologetically.

She smiled faintly.

"It's okay, I just wasn't expecting anyone," she said softly.

"Are you busy? Or can I steal you away from the intriguing view of the lawns?" he asked teasingly.

She shook her head and allowed him to help her from the window seat. With her hand clasped firmly in his own, he led her through the winding corridors until they were at the spiral staircase that led to the tower. She put her hand on her hip and smiled wryly at him.

"Did you take me here to seduce me?" she asked with her eyes narrowed.

"No! I just have a surprise for you!" he exclaimed innocently.

Giving him a skeptical look, she began to climb the stairs. Once outside on the balcony, she turned to face him.

"Okay. Where's the surprise?"

Sirius reached for where he knew the entrance to the tent was and pulled the sheet aside to let her in. Noelle gasped when the beautifully decorated, albeit small, room was magically revealed to her. She turned in wonder to gaze at him and he smiled mysteriously.

"Entre, mademoiselle," he said, sinking into a bow.

She stepped inside, amazed at the warmth and charm inside. The table was set with lovely off white china and sparkling crystal. She took the seat he pulled out for her and instantly a house-elf poured her a glass of wine. Sipping it carefully, her eyebrows went up when she saw the label.

"Chateau Margaux? Sirius this wine is worth a small fortune!" she exclaimed.

"And you are most worth it, love. Enjoy it," he said, rubbing her small fingers. "Would you like to see what's for dinner?"

She nodded eagerly and he motioned to the house-elf, who snapped his fingers. Instantly covered dishes appeared on the table. As the house-elf removed the covers, Sirius named all the dishes he had ordered. Noelle's mouth was agape at the planning he had obviously put into making this dinner remarkable. She helped herself to a large serving of cassoulet and took a bite.

"Oh, my Lord, this is heaven," she moaned. "Simply perfect." She leaned over and whispered to him, "Better even than most that I've had in France."

Sirius laughed and watched her enjoy her food.

"So what is the occasion?" she asked.

"Nothing. You haven't seemed like yourself lately and I figured that you could use some cheering up," he said, choosing his words carefully. It paid off. She put down her fork and finished the mouthful she was chewing. She sat back and focused her eyes on him.

"Have I been a good girlfriend to you, Sirius? I mean, apart from the obvious, which I don't want to get into. But really. Have I disappointed you much?"

He reached for her hand again and squeezed her fingers.

"Noelle, I love you. I love the good and the bad. You have been the best, far better than I deserve. What's going on Noelle? You know you can talk to me," he said soothingly.

She took a deep breath, desperately trying to think of something convincing. It fell into her head, fully planned.

"It's just that in June, we graduate. We're tossed out into the world, and there's no looking back. You have to understand, Sirius. My life wasn't supposed to be like this. I wasn't supposed to do anything after school except be a wife and mother. I guess that I just don't know what to expect and it's kind of freaking me out," she said, realizing that she had partially told the truth.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm just as confused as you are, and so are Lily and James. Come to think of it, did Lily tell you they got an apartment together?"

Noelle nodded and smiled.

"And just think, a few years ago, she couldn't stand him. Now, she's willing to share a bathroom with him. It's remarkable."

"I tried to tell him that he was giving up the bachelor life that he could have, you know. I figured that you and Lily could get a place and James, Remus and I could get one, and we would just all hang out together. But no, James took the mature, responsible route for the first time in his life. He's going to give her a ring at Christmas, you know."

Noelle gaped at him.

"Don't tell her!"

She stared at him witheringly.

"Like I would. A ring? You're serious?" She realized what she had just said and waved her hand impatiently. "Really?"

"Yep. He picked it out last week, when we went to Hogsmeade."

"So that's where you all disappeared to. What does it look like?"

"I don't know, it's a ring. It's a diamond. It's pretty big. I think she'll like it," he offered.

"I'm sure she would like a pebble if he gave it to her. That's amazing! I can't believe it!"

"I told him again, I don't know why he's tying himself down like this. I said, 'Come on man, you see how Noelle and I fight, like we've been together for twenty years!'"

Noelle rolled her eyes.

"Oh, you should be so lucky," she teased.

He laughed and then grew serious.

"Actually, I kind of wanted to talk to you about that. Do you think that maybe after we graduated, we could get a place together?" he asked her nervously.

Noelle felt her heart skip a beat and stop. It started again slowly and she felt the blood pulsing through her veins. She could feel his eyes on her, but she couldn't raise hers to meet them. Part of her was cheering inside, but there were two other parts, the parts that belonged to Olivier and Severus, and those parts were screaming in outrage at the thought of having to forever deny their desires. Moving in with Sirius would mean completely cutting them both out of her life. Severus had made it more than clear that he wanted nothing to do with her if she was still with Sirius and she had effectively driven Olivier away. What was stopping her?

"Noelle? Say something, please?" Sirius asked.

She finally raised her eyes to meet his. She saw his love for her shining there, and for a split second, she pitied him and that made her fill with disgust for herself. _He loves you and you love him. Just say yes, I think it's a great idea, _she told herself.

Even though she had a feeling that her next words would change her life forever, she smiled lightly, covering up the fear and trepidation in her heart.

"Sure. Why not?"


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Later that night, back in the girls' dormitory, Noelle paced nervously. Lily watched her in amusement until the troubles in Noelle's face truly began to concern her.

"Alright, Noelle. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Nothing is wrong. Everything is just ducky."

"Stop lying. I know you better than that, and you can't fool me."

Noelle raised her eyes and smiled in spite of herself. She sank onto Lily's bed next to her. Waving her wand, she drew the curtains around them and cast a Silencing charm.

"Sirius asked me to move in with him."

Lily squealed and hugged her friend.

"That's wonderful!"

"Is it?" Noelle shot back without thinking. Quickly she bit her lip.

Lily looked confused.

"But I thought that you would want that."

"I don't know what I want anymore."

"You might want to think about it seriously, Noelle. If you don't want to be with Sirius, then you need to tell him."

"Who said I didn't want to be with Sirius anymore?" Noelle asked indignantly.

"No one, but it seems like you're trying to pull away from him and you don't know how to do it."

"No, that's not it. It's not that simple, Lily. I love him, and I want to be with him, but my father will never agree to my moving in with him if we are not married!"

"Since when have you cared about what your father thought? And since when does he have a say in your life? He did disown you," Lily reminded her.

Noelle shook her head impatiently.

"I know that, but since my mother died, he's different."

"I think you're using your father as an excuse. What did you say when Sirius asked you?" Lily asked, realizing Noelle hadn't given her an answer.

"I said, 'Sure, why not?"

"Sure, why not? That's really what she said?" James asked Sirius as they changed for Quidditch practice.

"Yup. Not exactly the answer I was looking for," Sirius said as he pulled his wrist guards on.

James shook his head and pulled his broom off the rack.

"You probably just took her by surprise. I'm sure she's pretty excited about it. I'll ask Lily what Noelle told her."

"No, don't. Just give it a few days, I'm sure everything will work out okay," Sirius said with a forced smile. Tightening the laces of his shoes, he grabbed his broom and headed out to the pitch.

The next morning, Noelle and Lily headed down to breakfast.

"Quidditch today," Lily said as she hopped down the last two steps.

"That's right. It's Sirius' first game back, too. Who are they playing?"

"Ravenclaw. Should be an easy win, or at least that's what I've been trying to tell James."

"He's worried? About Ravenclaw?" Noelle wondered out loud.

"I think it's more because it's his first game as captain," Lily replied.

"He gets so worked up about Quidditch," Noelle observed, watching a determined James and an eager Sirius stride into the Great Hall. James was already in his Quidditch robes, while Sirius was in track pants and a beat up old Gryffindor tee shirt. He sank onto the bench next to Noelle. Yawning loudly, he leaned over and kissed Noelle on the forehead.

"Sleep well?" he asked her as he reached for toast.

She smiled and nodded.

"Planning on playing in your pajamas?" she teased.

"Nah, I wanted to play naked, but James wouldn't let me," he pouted.

"Do you think the team can afford for you to get sick?"

The girls laughed at James' serious expression. He continued.

"In the spring, when it gets warmer, dude, you can let it all hang out."

Sirius grinned widely.

"That is such a great idea! A graduation streaking by broom!" he exclaimed.

Noelle groaned and rested her head in her hands.

"Honestly, where do you guys come up with this stuff?"

"How 'bout it Lil? You up for it?" James asked wiggling his eyebrows.

"No, thank you," Lily huffed.

Remus joined them at the table as Lily was trying to keep her temper. He was glowing with happiness. His hair was neatly combed and he was wearing what Noelle recognized as Sirius' favorite sweater. Suddenly, she remembered.

"Today is the day, non?" she asked.

"Yup. I'm meeting Nicky at King's Cross at 1."

Noelle grinned.

"So much for your determination to stay out of her life," she teased.

Remus sat on the other side of Noelle and leaned close to her.

"It's like you said. The heart wants what the heart wants. And my heart wants her. She's like air to me, Noelle," he said softly.

"Moony!" James called.

He reached into his bag and pulled out the Invisibility cloak. Tossing it to Remus, he gave him a warning look.

"Here. Be careful, and don't get caught leaving."

Remus grinned and tucked the cloak into his own bag. Checking his watch, he smiled nervously.

"I'd better get going. Don't want to keep Nicky waiting," he said.

The four of them watched Remus make his way out of the Great Hall, with a swagger in his step that reminded Noelle of the way that Sirius walked.

James checked his watch too.

"Better get going too, Padfoot. You still need to change."

"Sorry I didn't sleep in my robes, Prongs," Sirius grumbled as he stood. "See you after the game, love."

He leaned down and kissed Noelle before following James outside.

"Wow, I forgot what a dictator James could be," Noelle observed as she sipped her coffee.

Lily laughed.

"Only when it comes to Quidditch."

They made their way out to the pitch, following the other students. The late fall air was crisp and just a bit chilly. Noelle pulled her wool cloak tighter as she climbed the stairs into the stands. She could see the teams gathering at their respective ends, waiting for Madame Hooch's whistle. The hawk eyed woman marched onto the pitch and raised her whistle to her mouth. As she was about to blow it, a deafening shout came from the castle.

"ALL STUDENTS ARE TO IMMEDIATELY RETURN TO THE CASTLE. ALL PROFESSORS, TO THE GREAT HALL!"

Lily stood and tried to catch James' eye. As Head Boy and Girl, their responsibilities were to assist the professors. James mounted his broom and soared up into the stands to where Lily was anxiously waiting.

"What's going on James?" she asked.

"I don't know, but it must be pretty serious if they're calling off Quidditch," he yelled over the din their fellow students were making.

"Meet me at the bottom!" he shouted as he flew away.

The girls filed impatiently down the stairs with the other students. No one seemed overly concerned, but a flutter had started in Noelle's heart. Something was dangerously wrong.

Gazing around, she saw a group of Slytherins, acting as if it was a normal occurrence to have Quidditch called off. She narrowed her eyes, hoping to be able to read some of them. Regulus Black was standing with his girlfriend, Pamela. Both were smiling and talking with their housemates.

Finally at the bottom, Noelle and Lily shoved their way through the crowds. Lily rushed to James' side and they ran up to the castle. She caught sight of Sirius and hurried to his side. He embraced her tightly and led her away from the throngs of students. Standing slightly apart from the rest, they watched their classmates making their slow way up to the castle.

"What's happening Sirius?" she asked, turning her huge navy eyes on him.

"I don't know. Where are Lily and James?"

"They were the first to go back to the castle," she answered, nervously wringing her hands.

"Okay, let's go there then. Quickly, but let's not get separated."

They pushed their way through the crowds until they reached the entry way where Lily and James were directing the prefects to bring the students back to their houses.

"Sirius, Noelle!" James called out over the heads of the students.

Sirius grabbed Noelle's hand and hurried to James.

"Stay right here. Dumbledore wants to speak to us."

His expression stayed calm, but Noelle could see the fear growing in his hazel eyes.

Finally, all the students were gone from the entryway. They stood together, unsure of what to do next.

"You four! My office, now!" Dumbledore called from the first landing.

Exchanging puzzled looks, with each other, they climbed the stairs and followed him to his office silently. Noelle tightened her grip on Sirius' fingers as they filed into his office. Once they were inside, she was shocked to find six older witches and wizards waiting for them there. One, a tall wizard with thick glasses, spoke the instant he set eyes on Dumbledore.

"Is it true, Albus? It has finally happened then?" he fired away.

Dumbledore nodded. Gasps were heard around the room, but the four teenagers still stood baffled.

"What's going on?" Sirius blurted out.

"One moment, Mr. Black, and I will tell you," Dumbledore reassured him.

"Black? That one's a Black? He can't be trusted!" an older witch with dark hair said, glaring at Sirius.

Sirius turned bright red and Noelle could feel the anger coursing through his veins. She squeezed his hand and held his gaze.

"Introductions first then, I presume?" the wizard wearing glasses asked.

"Of course. James Patrick Potter, excellent at Defense against the Dark Arts," he said pointing at James. "Lillian Elizabeth Evans, top Charms student. These two are also our Head Boy and Girl." The older wizards exchanged looks and nodded.

"Sirius William Black. Extremely proficient in just about every subject," he paused and turned to Noelle, "And Noelle Françoise Lemieux. Transferred here from Beauxbatons two years ago. She's one of the best Transfiguration students I have ever seen."

Now that all four of them were blushing and staring awkwardly around the room as the older wizards smiled approvingly, Noelle wondered again what the hell was going on. Her questions were soon answered.

"It has happened, and Tom has finally attacked. It was a small attack, hardly enough to raise Muggle suspicion, but more than enough to raise ours."

"Who's Tom?" Lily asked.

Surprised, because it was so unlike Lily to interrupt, he paused.

"Tom Riddle. He's a former student. He has taken it upon himself to, shall we say, wreak havoc in both worlds."

"I don't understand," Noelle said.

"He is determined to exterminate all those who aren't of pure blood. He's the head of a group of very dark wizards," the wizard wearing glasses stated.

"What does that have to do with us?" James asked.

"You four," he paused. "Where is Mr. Lupin?"

The four Gryffindors exchanged nervous looks.

"Never mind. Fill him in, Mr. Potter?"

James nodded and Dumbledore continued.

"I've asked you here today because you, with Mr. Lupin are the brightest and most talented wizards and witches of my former house. You're being asked to join an alliance."

"Against Tom Riddle?" Sirius questioned.

"Yes, and his followers. We created this group to fight him. We come from all four houses, but each of us brings something to the group. Each of you has something to bring as well."

As he said this, his gaze focused on Noelle. Her navy eyes went wide, but she kept her mouth shut.

"So this Tom Riddle. He attacked somewhere?" James asked.

"Yes. He has killed the parents of a student."

Noelle's stomach sank and she had to tear her eyes from Dumbledore's gaze. She slammed her eyes shut and shook her head.

"Does he know yet?" she asked softly.

James, Lily and Sirius turned to her in surprise.

"No, Miss Lemieux. He doesn't," he said softly.

"Who?" Sirius asked, bursting with curiousity.

Noelle opened her eyes and looked at Dumbledore, who nodded imperceptibly.

"Severus. He killed Severus' parents," she choked out.

"How the hell did you know that?" James asked.

"I'm a Seer. I read his thoughts," she said to the floor.

One of the older wizards nodded and smiled.

"Smart choice Albus. We can always use a Seer."

Noelle narrowed her eyes dangerously and glared at the wizard.

"Use a Seer? Mr. Snape was a Seer, too. Did you know that?" she snapped. Without waiting for an answer, she sneered at him. "Show some compassion. A man and his wife are dead, and their only child is left an orphan. I have to see him."

Dumbledore gazed proudly at his handpicked choices and nodded.

"Wait a few minutes more, Noelle. By agreeing to join us, you are putting yourselves and possibly your loved ones in danger. Miss Evans, being a Muggle-born, you are taking an extreme risk. Tom will show no mercy."

Noelle felt Sirius clench her fingers tighter.

"If you choose not to join us, walk away now. This is the point of no return. Once you are one of us, you become a marked person."

"I'm in," Noelle said without hesitation.

"Me too," said Lily.

The boys exchanged looks and nodded.

Dumbledore smiled.

"Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

They filed into the common room silently, each pondering what they had been told. James opened his mouth to say something, but a look from Sirius silenced him. He inclined his head toward Noelle. She was taking very shallow, raspy breaths, and her face was growing paler by the second.

"Noelle? You okay?" James asked her.

She turned and gazed at him as if she didn't know who he was, then spoke very quietly.

"Everything has changed," she said.

She didn't need to explain herself any further. They all knew what she was talking about.

"I need to go to him, right away," she said to no one in particular.

Sirius shook his head.

"Noelle, I don't think that's such a good idea. It's like walking into the fire by going to Slytherin right now," he warned.

"I'm not afraid. He needs a friend right now, and when you've got friends like that, who needs enemies?"

She rose from the couch and straightened her hair.

"I'm going, whether you like it or not," she stated.

Sirius stayed silent. To tell the truth, he had quite a bit of thinking to do himself, and he preferred to do it alone. And Lily looked as if she was ready to pass out. Noelle nodded quickly and left the common room.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

She rushed through the corridors down to Slytherin house, trying to get to him as quickly as she could. Once down in the dungeons, she noticed a small contingent of students milling around outside where she knew the door to their common room was. The first one she saw was Regulus Black. When he noticed her, he stormed over to her side.

"What are you doing here, Noelle?" he hissed.

Ignoring his question, she grabbed his hand, trying to get a read on him.

"Where's Severus?" she asked.

"He's inside. Trust me Noelle; he doesn't want to see anyone."

"But I need to see him, immediately!"

"You are the most selfish person…don't you know what happened? His parents are dead! Killed by Ministry officials!"

Noelle shook her head violently.

"No, Regulus, that's not true!"

He shook her roughly.

"It is true! And he's in no condition to talk to anyone, especially a self-centered Gryffindor!"

She struggled to free herself from his grasp but he held on to her firmly. He leaned down and she could see slight signs of fear in his grey eyes.

"I'm serious Noelle. You've got to get out of here, right now. Please," he whispered urgently.

Something in the way he pleaded with her struck a nerve and told her to listen to him. He let her go and she slowly backed away.

"Go Noelle. I'll tell him; well…I'll tell him you were here."

She nodded and fled the dungeons.

Three nights later, they attended their first meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. It was quick and a sense of urgency was in the air.

"We need more people," Dumbledore stated in the closing minutes. "Our numbers will be depleted quickly, especially if we don't act soon. Noelle!"

Jumping in surprise, she turned to face him.

"You mentioned strange activity outside of Slytherin House the other night?"

"Oui. I was told that apparently Severus is under the impression that Ministry officials killed his parents."

There were angry outbursts from around the room, and Noelle patiently waited for them to stop before she continued.

"He is not the only one. I believe all of Slytherin thinks the same. It seemed to me that the students in the hallway were waiting for something, or to go somewhere. Many seemed anxious. But, I could have just been imagining things."

"We don't need people who imagine things, Missy. Either you saw it, or you didn't," the wizard who had insulted Sirius snapped at her.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Sirius immediately jumped to her defense.

"Easy, both of you," Dumbledore silenced them. "Noelle, anything else?"

She shook her head.

"It's not surprising that he was lied to. I'm sure Tom will do anything to have such a talented Potions student under his thumb, and with Severus being so vulnerable right now, he makes an easy target."

"How talented is he?"

"He's the best Potions student we've ever had."

"You mean recently."

Dumbledore shook his head with a smile.

"No, I don't."

"So the theory that we're operating on right now is that Riddle killed the Snapes to get to their son?"

"Yes. We're the only ones who know it was him. It's not even in the papers."

"And if he can convince Snape to turn against the Ministry, then he's as good as got him over to his side," Lily said. James turned to look at her in surprise. It was the first time she had spoken up all night.

"Agreed, Miss Evans."

Dumbledore then looked at the watch that he kept hidden in his robes.

"It's late; way past curfew. You five, head back to Gryffindor, but be aware."

They nodded and began to leave the room.

"One second, Noelle, I want to talk to Dumbledore for a moment," Sirius said.

"What does he need?" Lily asked as she pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders.

"Who knows? All I know is I want my bed," Noelle yawned. She peered over James' shoulder and focused on Dumbledore and Sirius.

Dumbledore had a skeptical look on his face, but Sirius kept talking enthusiastically. Finally, Dumbledore sighed. Then he nodded. Sirius grinned and shook his hand. He hurried back to his friends.

"What was that all about?" Noelle asked as she snuggled into his side for warmth.

"Well, Dumbledore said he needed more people. So I got him one," Sirius said proudly.

"Please don't tell me it's Peter Pettigrew," Lily groaned.

Sirius' grin lost some of its oomph.

"Well, yeah. He'd be a good member, Lil. I know he would," Sirius said. "He's fiercely loyal."

Noelle shook her head.

"I don't agree Sirius."

"Well, Dumbledore does, and his is the only opinion that matters, isn't it?"

Stunned at the tone he was taking with her, she shrank away from him. Ever since the wizard had insulted Sirius in the first meeting, he had been aggravated, almost volatile. His temper flared much quicker than before, and there were times when he downright scared her. He pulled her back.

"I'm sorry, Noelle. I didn't mean for that to sound as bad as it did," he said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

She nodded, but his mood swings were seriously starting to worry her.

­­

It was hard to keep up a good front, knowing what they did. Most of the students were still carefree and blissfully ignorant of the dangers that lay ahead. As the days went on, there was news of more attacks, on both Muggles and wizards. All were easily explained in the news of both worlds, but the Order had their hands full. Thankfully, it seemed as if the only thing that Dumbledore wanted from the five Gryffindors and the one Hufflepuff was for them to keep their eyes and ears open, to listen and watch for anything unusual. The Order also, however, had different plans for Noelle.

Dumbledore had asked her to come to his office on her own one night. Filled with hesitation, she slowly mounted the circular staircase. She knocked on the door and heard him bid her entrance.

He was not alone. A wizard that she didn't recognize was seated next to Dumbledore's desk.

"Noelle, this is Alastor Moody. He's an Auror, and also a part of the Order. He wanted to ask you a few questions, seeing as how you are close to Severus."

She shook her head.

"I'm not close with him anymore. Since just before his parents were killed, he won't speak to me," she said through clenched teeth.

"Nonetheless, I've been told you are a Seer," Moody said to her.

Slowly, she nodded.

"I'm not much of a Seer. I've just come into my powers."

"Still, you have the Seer blood and that's all that matters."

Now feeling as if she were being ambushed, Noelle focused her gaze on Dumbledore. He cleared his throat.

"Noelle, Alastor was wondering if he may, pick your brain, if you will," he said very quickly.

Her eyes widened and she shook her head slowly.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"There is a simple spell, but it can be quite effective when used on someone with powers like yours. It's basically for us to see what you see, to find out if we can get a fresh perspective on anything," he explained. "You won't feel a thing."

"So you want to read my thoughts?" she asked, growing angry.

"Well, yes, in a way. It could greatly help the Order."

Every fiber in Noelle's body was telling her to refuse, but suddenly her thoughts were filled with saying yes.

"Yes, of course. If it will help the Order," she found herself saying.

Two hours later, Noelle found herself outside the Gryffindor common room with absolutely no recollection of how she got there. Her head felt as if it was filled with sawdust, and her arms and legs felt very heavy. Struggling to remember the password, it finally came to her.

As the door swung open, she had to clutch the walls for support. Her knees felt like jelly and she barely made it to the couch. Lily jumped up when she saw her.

"Noelle! Are you alright?"

"Oui, ça va," she said.

Lily looked slightly confused, and Noelle started to panic. She hadn't meant to answer her in French. She had to struggle to find the words in English.

"Yes, I am fine," she managed to say. Her voice sounded wooden and flat.

"What happened?" Sirius said as he came to her side. Lily shook her head.

"You went to see Dumbledore?" he said.

She nodded.

"Why?"

She started to answer, but the words were harder to find in English. He nodded to her.

"Say it in French," he said.

Haltingly, she explained what Dumbledore and Moody had done, expecting him to be outraged. However, he nodded thoughtfully.

"Wow, that was good thinking on Dumbledore's part. Did he find anything?"

Noelle stared at him with her mouth agape. She fought to speak in English.

"Good thinking? I can't remember English!" she said brokenly.

He waved his hand.

"I'm sure it will come back soon. There was no permanent harm done, right?"

This time it was Lily who exploded.

"No permanent harm? Sirius, look at her! She can barely speak, and she's white as a sheet! And with her health, Dumbledore should have known better!"

"Lily, he was doing what he thought he had to! Noelle knew that her Seer capabilities were extremely valuable to the Order."

"Damn the Order, Sirius! This is your girlfriend, the one that you love. She's petrified and they're taking advantage of her!"

Sirius stood and the rage emanating from his body was evident.

"Lily, Dumbledore wouldn't do anything to harm us. I can't believe you would even say something like that."

"Forget it. As long as it doesn't harm the precious Order, it's all right, isn't it? Your priorities are seriously out of order, Sirius."

Lily gently pulled Noelle to her feet and slid her arm around her waist.

"I'm putting her to bed. When you come to your senses, maybe she'll finally be in a condition to forgive you," she spit at him.

Fuming inside, Sirius watched Lily half carry Noelle up the stairs.

It took until late the next morning for Noelle to start feeling normal again. Her English came back slowly, and then was completely restored. She hardly remembered anything after walking into Dumbledore's office, and couldn't understand why Lily was so troubled.

"Really, Lily. I'm fine. I feel fine. Nothing is wrong," she explained. "Why are you so mad at Sirius?"

Weighing the option of telling Noelle how Sirius brushed off Noelle's reaction to Dumbledore's little spells and keeping the peace between her friends, she picked option B.

"Nothing. I was just in a bad mood," she lied, desperately hoping she was doing the right thing.

It was another month before Dumbledore requested her presence again, and just like the last time, she returned to Gryffindor dazed and disorientated. But this time, Remus was the only one in the common room when she came stumbling back inside. He gently steered her to the couch, thanking God that Lily and James had gone off on one of their walks. Laying her down, he covered her with a blanket and watched her drift off.

About an hour later, Sirius came through the portrait hole, wearing what could only be described as tight fitting workout clothes. He had a focused and determined look on his face and barely noticed his girlfriend passed out on the couch.

"Sirius!"

"What? Oh, hey Moony. What's up?"

"Not much. Just taking care of Noelle after she came back from another meeting with Dumbledore," he said pointedly.

"Is she okay?" he asked with concern.

"I think so. I put her on the couch and she passed right out."

Sirius finally turned to look at Noelle, and was unnerved to see her face twisted as if she were in extreme pain.

"Should I wake her up?" he asked Remus.

Just then, she began to toss on the couch and mutter.

"No…run James….Lily!...No….NO!" she cried out.

Sirius shook her gently and her eyes flew open. When her eyes focused on Sirius, she jerked away from his touch.

"Noelle, it's only me," he said, gently smoothing her hair from her face.

She gave a half smile and tugged the blanket over her legs.

"Back to sleep," she said haltingly.

Slightly confused, Sirius nodded and rose from the couch. Within seconds, she was asleep again.

"Where were you?" Remus asked. "And more importantly, what the hell are you wearing?"

"I was practicing dueling. With some of the Order," Sirius said arrogantly. "I'm really starting to get better. My reflexes are improving, too."

Remus looked at him disbelievingly, but Sirius continued.

"I think I'm going to be an Auror after we graduate. Montgomery thinks I can do it."

"Who's Montgomery?" Remus asked.

"He's one of the top Aurors in the Ministry, and in the Order. He thinks I've got what it takes."

"You've got something, all right," Remus said under his breath.

Sirius either didn't hear him or chose not to.

"Besides, it's about time we started to think about the future. We're not children anymore," he said as he started for the stairs.

"Sirius? What about Noelle?" Remus asked him.

"She's sleeping, isn't she? Well, we can't get her to her room, can we? And I don't want to wake her up to bring her to ours, so she'll be alright on the couch," he said as he yawned hugely. "I need to get some sleep. Night, Moony."

Remus couldn't believe what Sirius had just said. There was obviously something very wrong about what was happening with Noelle, and he didn't seem to care. All he cared about was the Order and becoming tight with its members. Resigning himself to sit in the common room all night to keep an eye on Noelle, he settled on the couch across from her. His mind raced as he tried to think of what to do. Noelle stirred uneasily in her sleep and he focused on her face. She seemed to relax, so he did too. But only for a moment, until the hexing problem with Sirius refused to go away.

The week before Christmas, Noelle came into breakfast with a smile on her face.

"What's up?" Lily asked her. It was rare to see a smile on her best friend's face nowadays.

"I'm going home for Christmas. My father wrote to me and he seems so lonely. So I told him I'd come home."

She did look genuinely pleased about returning to France, and Lily knew it was because of the Order.

"You can't go home! What about going to James' house, like we always do?" Sirius asked.

"Sirius, I have to go home. I can't leave my father alone for his first Christmas without my mother. That's inhuman!" she said.

Sirius smiled at his overdramatic girlfriend.

"I understand. But I'll miss you," he said, kissing the palm of her hand.

Romantic gestures like this were fewer and farer between now. She felt the old tingle start in her stomach.

"I'll be back on January 2nd," she promised.

They returned to their breakfasts, only Lily and James noticing the pink flush in Noelle's cheeks, and the bright sparkle in her navy eyes.

_Oh, Noelle, please don't be thinking of what I think you are_, Lily thought to herself as she watched her friend nervously.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 

Noelle rested her chin in her hand and stared out the window at the twirling snowflakes. Her Charms homework lay untouched in front of her, with an equally untouched pile of Potions homework underneath it. After about five minutes of pretending to concentrate on her work, she had given up, far more interesting in the softly falling snow.

Christmas break had come at a most opportune time, at least for her. Never entirely sure of what transpired while she sat in Dumbledore's office, she was glad to be rid of the creepy Auror who made her feel as if she was an encyclopedia. Her head hurt most nights after their little fishing expeditions, but she could never recall exactly what memories or thoughts they had seen. She had never been more grateful to arrive at the house in Cannes. She had been looking forward to coming home ever since she had received the owl from her father.

Suddenly, the break seemed too long. She missed Sirius desperately, even though he was distant and moody lately. She wished she had indeed gone to James'. Now, here on Christmas Eve, she deeply regretted her decision. A knock at her door startled her.

"Oui?" she called.

"Noelle! You're not ready yet?" her father asked.

Whipping her head around to check the time, Noelle saw it was nearly six o'clock.

"Last time I looked at the clock it was quarter to four!"

Her father laughed.

"I should have known better. Homework?" he asked, nodding at her desk.

Noelle nodded.

"Not like I actually got anything done," she said sheepishly.

"Well, you have just under an hour to get ready."

"I can do it. I'll be right down."

Her father smiled again and she could see a hint of sadness there. He gazed at his daughter and nodded quickly.

"See you downstairs," he said, his voice cracking slightly.

Noelle raced for the bathroom and took the quickest shower of her life. Wrapping a thick navy robe around herself, she twisted her wet hair up into a towel. Once she was dry, she stood before her vast closets. _No black,_ she thought, _or navy_. Reaching into the far depths of her closet, she unearthed a beautiful deep crimson velvet gown. It was strapless, and the bodice had a wide band of sparkling rhinestones. Rhinestones were also spattered across the full skirt. On the hanger behind the gown hung a matching crimson cloak. For the life of her, she couldn't ever remember owning these robes. Since they were far too beautiful to keep hidden in a closet, she decided to wear them that night.

She sat at her vanity table and began applying her makeup. Once that was done, she concentrated on her hair. She aimed her wand at her head and her hair was instantly dry. She pulled the long strands up and pinned them back. Slowly she twisted locks of her hair around her wand and fastened them to the back of her head. Eventually she had a cloud of blonde curls blooming from her head. Some had fallen loose and tumbled romantically around her face. Even she had to agree, with her dark, sultry eye makeup, the overall effect was stunning. She pulled on the gown and gazed at herself in the mirror.

Her resemblance to her dead mother was never more apparent. Her hair was nearly the exact same shade, and her eyes, although much darker, more like her father's, were the same shape. Slowly she exhaled, not even realizing that she had been holding her breath. Reaching for her jewel case, she began to drape herself with rubies. She stuck long ruby and pearl tipped pins into her hair, and clipped matching barrettes on the sides as well. She slid her feet into a pair of crimson velvet slippers and draped the cloak over her shoulders. After a spray of perfume, she was ready.

She slowly descended the stairs. Her father gazed up at her. Shaking his head slightly, as if to dislodge old memories, he came to her side.

"I was wondering if you had found the dress. It was your mother's. She never got a chance to wear it. You look stunning," he said as he leaned down to kiss her cheek.

She put her hand in the crook of his elbow and they walked to the doorway together. With a swish of his cloak, Noelle and her father Apparated to the home of one of his colleagues for their annual Christmas ball.

In the grand foyer of the de Villier mansion, Noelle removed her cloak and handed to a butler. Smoothing out the heavy velvet of her gown, she turned to locate her father. He was standing at a long low table, studying the place cards. She went to his side and quickly found her card. _Noelle Lemieux, Table 12. _Above her card, her father's read _Franois Lemieux, Table 7_.

"We're not sitting together?" she questioned.

"Apparently not. Are you alright with that?"

"Of course, as long as you are."

Noelle kissed her father on the cheek and headed for table 12. She glanced at table 7 and saw her father's place card between two very beautiful older women. Her heart froze, instantly realizing what the hostess had done. She knew her father wasn't ready to date yet, and she sure wasn't ready for him to start anytime soon, but he was a grown man. Swallowing thickly, she passed table 7 and walked to table 12. Her insides heaved when she saw who was sitting there.

"Joyeux Noël, cherie."

"What are you doing here, Olivier?" she asked bluntly.

"We come every year Noelle. Or had you forgotten?"

Actually, she had forgotten. She hadn't attended the de Villier's Christmas Ball in two years, but the last time she had, it had been on Olivier's arm. Still, she stood, not taking a step toward the table.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Noelle!"

Her eyes widened.

"Watch your language!" she hissed. Although the de Villiers were magical, many of their guests were not.

"If we cannot act like adults for one night, then you and I are even worse off than I thought," he said grimly.

Inside, Noelle softened.

"You're right. We can act like adults.

Smiling, Olivier pulled out a chair and she gracefully sat. He handed her a glass of champagne and she took a small sip.

"Is Antoine here tonight?" she asked.

"Oui, with his new girlfriend."

"New girlfriend? What happened to Caroline?"

"She left him. He won't tell me why. His new girlfriend is named Lissette Fournard. She attends Beauxbatons. I believe she's a sixth year."

"I think I remember her. Dark hair, green eyes, right?"

"Oui, she's quite pretty, great personality. They really work well together."

"Good for Antoine," she took another small sip of champagne. "And you? Are you dating anyone?"

He turned velvety brown eyes on her and her heart skipped a beat.

"Non, there is no one for me right now."

The raw pain she could see deep in his eyes nearly tore her apart. Quickly she looked away and her touched her lightly on the knee.

"How about you? How is Lily?"

"Lily is wonderful. She and James are moving in together after graduation. He's giving her a ring tomorrow," she said, slightly sad that she wouldn't be there to see Lily's reaction.

"Wow. They got very serious, very quickly, non?"

Noelle shrugged.

"No quicker than any of us do. Or did," she corrected herself.

Olivier gave her a sidelong glance.

"Can you believe if things were different, we would be married right now?" he asked cautiously, waiting for her to snap. Instead, she surprised him.

"Non," she said, shaking her head ruefully. "It all seemed much simpler when I was fourteen."

"To think, our families had our whole lives planned out," he said as he gazed out the window.

"Olivier, it's not our fault! It's no one's fault really," she said, her voice trailing off.

Olivier slammed his fists into his thighs.

"I find huge fault in your father's decision that just because you were sick, I shouldn't love you," he spit out.

Noelle stared at him, feeling the intensity of his anger radiating from his body.

"He was trying to protect us both! Do you really think you could have watched me die?"

"I would have liked to been given a chance to love you like I wanted to. And you're not dying now! Who's to say that a cure wouldn't have been found by now? Regardless Noelle, I loved you! I would have gladly died for you. And he took that away! He sent you into another man's arms and he let you believe that I didn't love you anymore! For that? No Noelle. I can never forgive him for that."

Noelle grasped his hand without thinking. Warmth spread through her body, and she was filled with curiosity that she didn't have a vision or feel anything other than the reassuring touch of his skin.

"We were lied to Olivier! And you're right, it wasn't fair," she paused and pushed a stray curl away from her face. Changing the subject quickly, she looked into his brown eyes.

"Do you believe in love, Olivier? I mean real love, the kind that lasts forever? One man for one woman?"

"Oui, of course."

"So do I. At least, I used to. But now I know that I can love more than one person. I love Sirius, but I still love you. I will always love you. At fourteen, my life was far easier than it is now. Now, besides school and the real world, I'm dealing with real dangers, with evil, and it scares me out of my mind!"

Olivier tightened his grasp on her fingers.

"Where do you see evil Noelle? What is so dangerous at Hogwarts?"

Not entirely sure if she should tell him, she paused.

"There is a man, a wizard, who is basically set on world domination. He's truly evil, and he kills for sport. He killed Severus' parents already, and many others as well. The headmaster of my school has created an alliance of sorts, and I am a member," she confessed.

"Why you?" he asked, his voice growing low with concern.

"Maman, she was a Seer. When she died, I became one," she said to her hands.

"A Seer? You?" Olivier shook his head. "Well, you always did have more intuition than most girls, so I'm not really that surprised. What do they have you doing?"

"Well, basically my contribution is to sit there while an Auror 'picks my brain'. I basically become unconscious and they rummage around in my head to see if any of my visions are pertinent to the fight against Tom," she said.

Olivier was horrorstruck.

"And Sirius allows this? Noelle, they could be doing some severe damage to you! That's borderline Dark Magic! How could he let them do that to you, and with your health!"

Noelle gave a small smile.

"You sound like Lily. She's furious about it, but Sirius seems to think that if it will help the order, than it's alright," she said.

"It's not alright. Not at all. Those are your thoughts Noelle. Your dreams and your hopes, and they're rifling through them haphazardly. It's dangerous and it's not right," he fumed.

Something in his fury rang true in Noelle's heart. Why didn't Sirius care more about her well-being than that of the order? Why wasn't he outraged by her condition when she returned from one of these sessions?

"Promise me you won't let them do it again, Noelle. Who knows what they're taking out and dissecting?" he pleaded.

Deep in those chocolate brown eyes, she could see how much he still loved her and wanted to take care of her.

"I won't," she said softly.

He let out a sigh of relief.

"Bon. I don't want to be worried about you anymore than I already am," he said, the tension in his shoulders releasing.

"You worry about me?" she asked timidly.

"Every second of every day," he said with a smile. Then his face changed and he looked more serious than she had ever seen him look.

"Thank you Olivier," she said smiling at him.

Suddenly the noises of the party overwhelmed them both.

"I forgot we were here for a moment," Olivier confessed.

Noelle laughed.

"As did I. Now come on. Let's have a good Christmas, shall we?"

"Absolutely."

Across the room,Franois Lemieux watched his daughter flirting with the eldest Roussard boy. He had never had anything against Olivier, but when Noelle had gotten sick, he had thought it best that she have no romantic distractions. He liked Olivier far better than he did the Black boy, and right then and there decided to do everything he could to bring his daughter and Olivier back together.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

As the party went into full swing around them, Noelle and Olivier finally began to socialize. Sometime during their conversation, Antoine and his new girlfriend Lisette had joined their table. As Antoine made the introductions, Noelle swung curious eyes to Olivier, silently asking what had happened to Antoine's old girlfriend, Caroline. He shrugged slightly and she turned her attention to the petite brunette in front of her. Lisette had sparkling green eyes, not unlike Lily's, and a vivacious personality. Noelle liked her immediately. After dinner, a small orchestra began setting up in the corner of the massive ballroom. The older guests quickly took to the floor.

After awhile, Noelle had become rather sick of watching Lisette and Antoine making eyes at each other. Apparently, so had Olivier.

"Noelle? Dance?" he asked her, holding out his hand.

Gratefully she jumped to her feet and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor.

The first dance was a sedate waltz, and Noelle had no problem keeping up with him. They had often danced in their relationship, and the memories were rushing back. _At least it's not a tango_, Noelle thought wryly. She spoke too soon.

The next song was spicy and sensuous. Olivier pulled her closer and she soon lost herself in the music. He twirled her around, leading her through intricate patterns and steps. Within minutes, the other couples on the dance floor had pulled away, aware that they were seeing passion on display. With their eyes locked on each other, they owned the dance floor. Noelle tantalizingly pressed her body against Olivier's, gazing up at him through her lashes. He responded by twisting her away, and then pulling her unbearably close. As the song ended, he dropped her into a low dip, bringing his head to her décolletage. Slowly she picked her head up and he slid her into a more comfortable position. Their lips were inches apart, and the distance was closing rapidly. Thunderous applause finally broke their trance-like state, and they both blushed. Noelle's eyes quickly scanned the crowd for her father, certain that he would be furious with her. Instead, he was smiling and his eyes were glowing with pride. She gave a small bow and allowed Olivier to lead her out of the ballroom to the terrace outside. Neither saw the cameras clicking away.

"Oh, that was fun! I haven't danced like that in ages!" she said, fanning herself with her hand. Instantly the memory of dancing with James last year at the Potter's Christmas party flew into her head. She slammed the door on it and focused again on Olivier.

"Oui, we always did know our way around a dance floor," he agreed, conjuring two glasses of champagne.

She took it and sipped it slowly. She had already had a few glasses and it was starting to make her giddy. Suddenly, the silence between them was awkward. She shifted slightly on the marble bench.

"Can I ask you a question, Noelle?"

Taken slightly aback, she nodded.

"Why do you love Sirius?"

Such a simple question should have been so easy to answer, but she found herself hesitating.

"It's not a difficult question, chérie," he said softly.

She shot him a withering look.

"I love him because…because…he's funny, and he's outgoing. He's handsome and he's loyal," she finally answered.

Olivier raised an eyebrow.

"Is that all?"

She tilted her head.

"Isn't that enough?"

He laughed softly.

"Do you want to know why I love you?" he asked.

She shook her head, knowing where this was going. She started to rise off the bench, but he stopped her.

"Please Noelle, I've already lost you. Just give me a moment. I think you owe me that," he said firmly. Slowly she sank back onto the bench and gazed at him directly.

"I love your laugh. I think that's what I love most of all about you. I love your eyes, how they change with your mood. I love the way you lie in the sun, soaking it into you as if you were receiving a life force from it. I love how you tug on your hair when you're nervous, just like you're doing right now," he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Quickly she took her hand away from her hair, scowling at him.

"But what I really love about you can't even be described. It's the way you make me feel. I see you, and I'm complete. When I touch you, I feel like I'm touching a piece of heaven."

Noelle's eyes were swollen with tears by now, but she wouldn't let them fall. He sank to his knees in front of her and grasped her hand.

"We're different people now, Noelle. We're adults, and things have changed. You've become the most amazing woman I've ever known, and I don't think that Black even knows how lucky he is to have you," he said.

"Lucky to have me? I'm lucky to have him. Olivier, I'm not perfect. Far from it in fact. I've betrayed him, and he took me back. He's saved me, Olivier!"

"Saved you? From what? And just because he took you back doesn't mean you owe your life to him, if he doesn't make you happy!"

"But he does make me happy," Noelle managed to say through her tears.

Olivier held her hand tighter.

"If you can tell me that you are blissfully, sublimely happy with Sirius Black, then I will walk away from you and out of your life forever," he said fiercely.

She stared at him, slowly drinking in the lines of his face and the pure velvet brown of his eyes.

"I am happy Olivier," she whispered tightly.

With a devastated look in his eyes, Olivier rose to his feet. He let go of her hands and turned away from her. Despite the agony she could clearly read in his face, his posture was firm and erect; his shoulders as broad as ever. He began to walk away from her. Her heart began to throb and pound like it never had. The thought of him leaving her life tore at her soul. Even though her brain was telling her to let him go, her heart was actively disagreeing with it.

"Olivier, wait! Please, don't go!" she sobbed.

He stopped, but didn't turn around to face her. With his head down, he spoke softly.

"I love you Noelle. But there is only so much torture a man can take," he said.

She stood, squaring her own shoulders.

"Tell me again," she said in a low voice.

He slowly turned to face her.

"Tell you what?"

"Tell me again why you love me," she said, gazing directly at him.

Instead of speaking, he was in front of her in seconds. Taking her into his arms, he crushed his lips down on hers.

She returned to Hogwarts after the holidays, feeling slightly jaded. As she entered Gryffindor tower, she realized that the others hadn't returned from James' yet. Giving thanks for small favors, she began to unpack.

She wasn't alone for long. Lily's long red hair preceded her into the room. She dropped her trunk and shrieked as she saw Noelle. As she flung herself at her friend, Noelle caught sight of the large emerald cut diamond on Lily's left hand. Catching her hand before Lily reached her, she raised both eyebrows.

"Wow! That is quite the ring!"

"I know, right? Did you know about this? How come you didn't tell me? Lily's excitement about being newly engaged was bubbling over.

"I knew he was going to give you a ring, but I didn't know he was going to give you the Hope Diamond!" Noelle teased.

"It's amazing, isn't it? Well, we set a date for next year. As in a year after we graduate. I want to have plenty of time to plan the wedding, and I'm totally going to need your help, with everything."

Noelle nodded, slightly bemused by this version of Lily.

"Oh, I know, you think I'm turning into a total bride-zilla, right? Well, I promise you I won't. Scout's honor," she teased.

"It's perfectly fine to be excited, Lily. I would be," she said, pushing the memory of the preliminary wedding plans that she and her mother had done while she was dating Olivier out of her head.

"Okay, but I won't gush too much. I'm going to get a snack. Oh, and Dumbledore saw us coming in. There's a meeting of the Order tonight, in his office," she informed her.

Slowly Noelle nodded.

"Are James and Sirius back as well?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"Of course. I think they're downstairs. Go say hi," Lily ordered as she headed out the door.

Noelle swallowed nervously and checked her reflection in the mirror. She looked fine on the outside, but her insides were churning. Straightening her shoulders, she left the room.

James and Sirius were indeed in the common room. James was stretched out on the sofa, playing with a Snitch. Sirius was sprawled out in front of the fire, flipping through a notebook. Both boys looked up as she descended the stairs. James jumped up and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Hey Noelle. Good Christmas?" he asked.

"Yes, very, thank you. And congratulations," she said smiling and hugging him.

"Hey, can I say hello to my girlfriend that I haven't seen in over a week?" Sirius joked.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her and pressed his face into her soft hair. He reached under her chin and tilted her face up to his. He kissed her gently, and she could feel her soul warming. She opened her eyes and gazed into his face. There it was. All the love and desire that had always been a constant was finally there again.

"Missed you baby. I missed you so much," he murmured into her ear, his breath causing her knees to weaken.

"I missed you too," she responded, pushing Olivier's kiss out of her head.

"Can we go somewhere? Somewhere we can be alone?" he whispered.

Smiling, she nodded. This was the Sirius that she loved.

He quickly reached over and plucked the map out of James' bag. Taking her by the hand, he whisked her out of the room.

Quickly they rushed through the halls. Finally, Sirius stopped.

"Follow me," he said with a kiss.

She wordlessly followed him through a tunnel, and around a few corners. At the end of the fourth corridor, he pressed on the wall, which pushed in to reveal a comfortable sitting room. He pointed his wand at the fireplace and a roaring fire sprung up. Turning to face her, he smiled bashfully.

"I feel like this is all brand new again," he confessed.

"Me too. Like I've never been with you before," she whispered.

"I missed you so much Noelle. You can't imagine how much I did," he said softly.

"I missed you too," she said, biting her lip.

He made his way to her slowly, hesitantly. He carefully peeled the robes from her shoulders, letting them fall to the floor at her feet. Kissing her gently, he began to unbutton her blouse. Once it was fully unfastened, he pulled that off of her body too. He reached down and unfastened her skirt. It too, fell to the floor. Taking her hands, he helped her step out of the pile of clothing at her feet. He leaned down and removed her shoes. Swinging her into his arms, he carried her to the sofa. He lay her down and pulled his own robes off of his body.

"Aren't you going to help?" he whispered.

She nodded and reached for him. She pulled the t-shirt over his head, taking note of the purple bruises that had sprung up all over his chest. When she raised questioning eyes, he silenced her with a look that told her _later_. She fumbled slightly at his waist until she had his belt undone. Pushing his khakis down his legs, she watched him kick his legs free. Now both of them were clad only in underwear. Their chests heaved collectively as they studied each other. Finally, Sirius kissed her.

His lips traveled down her neck and over her collarbone. He trailed his tongue to the valley between her breasts. She moaned loudly as he flicked his tongue over her nipples.

"Scream all you want, there's no one around to hear you," he said softly.

He kept kissing her body, slowly making his way to her stomach and waist. When he reached the top of her panties, her head came up sharply. She had a feeling of what he was going to do next, and it made her nervous. No one had ever done that to her before, and before she could stop him, her panties were off and tossed somewhere on the floor. She opened her mouth to protest, but forgot almost every word as his tongue caressed her gently. She was moaning even louder now, crying out at some points. She couldn't keep still and it was making him crazy. Reluctantly he pulled away from her and slid his body along hers. She opened her huge navy eyes, and he saw vulnerability in them for the first time. Holding her tightly, he began to enter her. During this exquisite process, she clutched him to her, dragging her nails down his back. She threw her head back and moaned, tossing her blonde hair out of the way. With his lips firmly pressed to her neck, he thrust harder, causing her to scream out in pleasure. With every movement, he was trying to convey all the love he had for her. Just as she reached her climax, he tilted her face so she was looking at him.

"God Noelle, I love you so fucking much," he gasped, losing control of himself as she shuddered in his arms.

Once her body had stopped convulsing, she slowly began to return to herself. Reality came crashing around her and it made her feel exposed. She rose off of the couch and began to search for her clothes.

"Noelle, what on earth are you doing?" he asked her lazily.

"Trying to find my stuff. We should go; we have a meeting tonight," she said quickly.

"Yeah, tonight. And imagine that, it's only 3:00," he said with his eyebrows raised.

She stopped, feeling foolish.

"Will you come back over here?" he asked her impatiently.

She nodded and returned to the couch. He wrapped a blanket around them and kissed her temple.

"Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Usually you want to lounge around for hours after we make love," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I just thought it was later than it was. I'm sorry," she said, kissing him quickly.

Slowly she began to relax. Her body molded itself around his, feeling the coarseness of the hair on his legs and the warmth of his muscles against her arm. Their breathing slowed until it was in perfect sync. He pressed his forehead against her head and sighed.

"I can't believe my best friend is engaged. It's unreal," he said.

"Mine is too," she teased. "Do you think they know each other?"

"Ha ha, very funny. Well, I'm the best man, and you're the maid of honor, so I guess we have to go together, eh?"

"You better be taking me to that wedding, Sirius Black," she said warningly.

"I can't think of anyone I'd rather walk down the aisle with," he said with a smile. "Hey, that makes me think of something. We need to start looking for an apartment. We graduate in six months."

Six months. Her life, as she knew it, was going to change in six months. She knew this battle with Tom Riddle was only going to get worse. She didn't need her mother's gift to tell her that. She knew that there would be losses, and pain, and heartache. She also knew that she would not come out of it unscathed. The only thing she could wish for was that her friends would. Trying desperately to squash those fears, she snuggled deeper into the sanctuary of Sirius' arms and tried to fall asleep.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

It was with great trepidation that Noelle attended the latest meeting of the Order. She didn't know how she was going to tell Dumbledore that she had had enough of his meddling around in her head, but she knew that she must. She also knew that Sirius was not going to take her decision well.

They filed into Dumbledore's office in a line. Swinging her eyes around the room, Noelle grabbed Lily's elbow.

"What's she doing here?" she hissed.

Laura Armstrong was seated next to Dumbledore. Her eyes were red and swollen and she was clutching a handkerchief tightly.

Lily shrugged and steered Noelle to a seat as far away from Laura as possible. Sirius sprawled his lanky frame in the seat next to hers and idly began to twirl a lock of her long blonde hair between his fingers. This comforted her immensely and she rested her hand on his thigh. He gazed at her lovingly and she blushed. Dumbledore called the meeting to order and they all fell silent.

"I have an announcement to make. Over the Christmas holiday, Miss Armstrong's parents were killed by Tom's followers," he said quickly.

Laura let out a wail as the members hurriedly whispered back and forth. She took a deep breath and patted her eyes.

"I want revenge. They need to pay for what they have done!" she sobbed.

"Does anyone have any objection to Miss Armstrong joining the Order?" Dumbledore asked, his pale blue eyes scanning the room.

Noelle fidgeted in her seat. She had a huge problem with Laura joining the Order, but she wasn't about to say so. When no one spoke, Dumbledore smiled triumphantly.

"Welcome to the Order, Miss Armstrong," he said, patting her on the shoulder.

Once again, Noelle allowed her mind to wander while the members talked of terrible things. Her ears perked up when she heard a witch mention Severus.

"I was in the Three Broomsticks, and I saw a number of students, all Slytherins, by the looks of them, huddled together. They looked extremely suspicious," she said matter-of-factly.

"Why did they look suspicious?" Noelle asked before she could think.

The other members turned in surprise. She had never spoken out like that before.

"They just did. They were whispering and they kept shifting their eyes around, as if they were afraid someone was listening," she stuttered.

Noelle sat upright in her chair and raised a blonde eyebrow.

"Well, someone was, non?" she asked.

Sirius pinched her leg.

"What are you doing?" he whispered in her ear.

She waved him away impatiently.

"I just don't think that just because a group of Slytherins were talking is a huge cause for alarm. It could be entirely innocent. Not every person in that house is evil," she said pointedly.

The witch opened her mouth to respond but was shushed by Dumbledore.

"That is enough. I think we have covered enough for tonight. You are all excused."

Chairs were shoved back and Noelle stood to follow her friends out the door.

"Miss Lemieux, will you stay a moment?" Dumbledore called.

This was it. She steeled herself.

"I'm sorry, no."

"No?"

"Oui, I said no. I cannot."

Sirius shook her arm.

"What do you mean, no?" he asked her.

"I mean, no. I can't allow you to go through my head like that anymore. It's making me very uncomfortable," she said firmly.

Dumbledore nodded but he looked extremely disappointed.

"I understand, but I thought you were aware that it was for the greater good. You've already helped us immensely."

Noelle's resolve wavered momentarily but then stood solid.

"I cannot," she repeated.

Ignoring the shocked look on Sirius' face, Noelle pushed by him and the others and rushed back to Gryffindor tower.

When Lily arrived back in the girl's dormitory, Noelle looked up from her Potions text.

"Was it wrong of me to do that?" she asked her.

Lily sank down onto the end of Noelle's bed.

"I don't think so. I haven't agreed with what they were doing to you since the beginning. It just didn't seem right," she said.

"It doesn't. Plus, I remember being very hesitant, and then suddenly, it seemed like a great idea. But I can't remember what made me change my mind," Noelle said, looking down at her hands.

"When did you decide to tell Dumbledore that you weren't going to do it anymore?"

"At a Christmas party. Olivier made me realize that it was wrong," she answered. Instantly, she knew she had said the wrong thing.

"Olivier? You saw Olivier at Christmas? Noelle!"

"What? Am I supposed to leave a function if he is there? You have to remember; our families travel in the same circles. I am bound to run into him somewhere!"

"For Merlin's sake, Noelle! Just be careful! Every time you see Olivier, you and Sirius have a fight. Is it really worth it?"

For the first time in months, Noelle's chest began to seize. Her face turned red and she clutched the bedpost. Lily, realizing what was happening, jumped to her feet.

"What can I do?" she asked frantically.

Noelle motioned over to her nightstand where she kept her case of potion. Fumbling with the latch, Lily finally removed a single vial. Uncorking it, Noelle threw her head back and swallowed the dark green liquid. As usual, it tingled going down her throat. Lily was watching her anxiously, wringing her hands. Noelle took a deep breath.

"I'm alright," she managed to croak out. "I just need to rest."

Lily pulled back the bedcovers and helped Noelle slid under them. Before she could apologize for upsetting her, Noelle was already asleep.

_If it weren't for the hallucinations, this potion would be perfect_, Noelle thought to herself. Once again she was seeing things that made no sense. There was her wedding, and walking through the maze with her father. But this time, she saw things she had never seen before. She saw a large black dog, curled in the corner of a stone room. She saw Lily, cradling a newborn baby, singing and dancing around a pale blue room. Then time seemed to move extra fast.

_She was standing in a dark kitchen. The ceiling was low and the room was dimly lit. She didn't recognize anyone at first, but with a start, she realized that she did. Remus was seated on her left, but he looked drastically different. His brown hair was streaked with grey and his face was deeply lined. She saw Severus to her right, looking much the same as he did lately, with a deep burning in his ebony eyes. To his left was a tall girl with dark blue eyes. She looked extremely familiar. Her bone structure was fine, but there was a determination and fierceness deep within her eyes that Noelle had never seen before. She watched as the dark haired girl swung her eyes to Severus as if she were looking for approval. Severus looked down at the girl and smiled, pride evident in his face. Noelle continued to gaze around the room. There was a red headed couple, older than she, with two younger red headed men seated on either side. She heard a voice behind her and spun to see who it was. She gasped as she drank in his long unkempt hair and his gaunt frame. His eyes were practically sunken into his head and his cheeks were hollowed out. He spoke, a raspy harsh voice that she wasn't used to hearing._

"_Dumbledore said he would be late, so we should start without him," the man said. _

_Noelle's jaw dropped and she screamed, wrenching her instantly back into the present. _

"Noelle! Wake up, you're having a bad dream!" Lily said, shaking her best friend roughly.

She sat up abruptly and pushed Lily's hands off of her.

"Sirius! He looks terrible!" she cried.

"What on God's green earth are you talking about?" Lily asked, genuinely confused.

"I…I…I don't know," Noelle stammered, realizing that she was back in her own bed, safe at Hogwarts. "I had a terrible dream, and Sirius looked at if he were a prisoner. He was thin and his eyes were, oh God, it was awful!" she sobbed, falling into Lily's arms.

"Well, come with me, and I'll show you that Sirius is as healthy as a horse," she said, tugging Noelle to her feet.

They walked down the stairs, with Lily half carrying Noelle. When they got to the common room, Lily pointed to the couch.

"See for yourself," she said.

Noelle raised tear-swollen eyes and focused on Sirius. Lily was right. He looked completely normal. He jumped to his feet and embraced her.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"She had a nightmare, and she woke up screaming something about you looking terrible," Lily answered for her.

Sirius gazed down into Noelle's face and saw that she was truly terrified. He embraced her tightly and rubbed her back.

"I'm fine, see? And look, I'm still devastatingly handsome," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

Despite the horror that still lingered in her, she managed to laugh.

"Do you want to stay with me tonight?" he asked.

She nodded and rested her head against his chest. Smiling to himself, he swung her into his arms and carried her up the stairs to his room.

Classes after the holidays seemed to turn into drill sessions. Professors constantly were firing off questions and assigning pages and pages of homework.

"Honestly, as if we don't have enough to do, what with studying for our N.E.W.T.'s and all," James sulked at dinner.

"I think that this is their way of helping us study," Remus said.

Peter laughed.

"If they think that this is helping us, maybe they shouldn't be teaching!"

Sirius and James laughed as the girls forced smiles. Even though Peter was now a constant in their group, Noelle still didn't entirely trust him. She was never too sure of what was going on behind his beady brown eyes. However, Sirius and James would hear nothing of her concerns. Just as she turned to ask Sirius a question, Professor Dumbledore paused by their table.

"Mr. Black. Are you free tonight?" he asked.

Sirius nodded, even though he had plans to "take a walk" with Noelle.

"Good. I am in need of your assistance. Please come to my office when you are done with your dinner," he said.

Noelle poked Sirius hard in the side.

"We had plans, Sirius. Remember?"

"Oh, Noelle, I'm sorry. I totally forgot. But this is probably something important for the Order. I can't tell him no!"

Noelle crossed her arms over her breasts.

"Fine. I understand," she pouted.

He leaned in close. Breathing on her neck, he whispered in her ear.

"I'll make it up to you when I get back."

She closed her eyes as his breath caressed her skin.

"Promise?"

"Absolutely," he said, sealing it with a kiss.

Sirius hurried up to Dumbledore's office, wondering what he was being summoned for. He gave the password and waited impatiently for the staircase to stop. He knocked on the door, and waited for Dumbledore to bid him entrance.

Dumbledore was not alone. Seated in one of the chairs in front of his desk was someone that he would rather have never had to have contact with again. Laura turned to face him and gave him a brilliant smile.

"Sit, Sirius," Dumbledore said, gesturing to the other chair.

"I'd rather stand, thanks," he answered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Miss Armstrong has come to me because she is not very good with dueling. As Auror Montgomery says, you are the best he's seen," he said.

"And?"

"I was hoping you'd be willing to give Miss Armstrong a few pointers. I'm sure she would be most grateful for your assistance."

Sirius sighed, thinking over what he was being asked. Noelle would not be happy about it. In fact, he wasn't happy about it either. But since it was for the Order, and it was a favor to Dumbledore, he had to agree.

"When do you want us to start?"

Dumbledore smiled broadly.

"Why not tonight?"

Laura followed him through the halls silently. Dumbledore had given them permission to use an old classroom. When Sirius found it, he pushed open the door. It was a long wide room, with plenty of cushions, which would be helpful for Stunning. Flicking his wand carelessly, he sent the desks to one side of the room. He tugged his outer robes over his head and rolled up the sleeves of his sweater.

"Should I take my robes off as well?" Laura asked in that high voice that drove him insane.

"Yeah, you might want to," he said distractedly.

She removed her school robes. Sirius realized that she was only wearing a tank top underneath.

"Aren't you cold?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Well, I figured we'd be moving around a lot, so I didn't want to wear too many layers," she answered.

"Right. Well, the first thing you need to know about dueling is that you should be prepared for anything. You're not always going to be given a warning or a sign that an attack is coming. So let's just practice disarming, okay?"

"Disarming?" she asked.

"Yes. Using Expelliarmus. Okay, let's give it a go," he said, raising his wand to shoulder level.

"Um, I don't know that spell, Sirius," she said.

He let his arm fall.

"You don't even know Expelliarmus? You're kidding me!"

Tears formed in her brown eyes, and he felt slightly bad. He hadn't meant to hurt her feelings.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…well, anyways. What you want to do is wave your wand in a downward slope toward the person you are attempting to disarm. As you're at the apex of the slope, call out the incantation, '_Expelliarmus_'."

She still looked confused. He sighed deeply.

"Here, I'll go first," he said. "Wand at the ready!"

She raised her wand to the same level as his. With a rapid swish of his arm, he called out '_Expelliarmus_!' Her wand flew out of her hand and he caught it up. Tossing it back to her, he smirked.

"Wow, Sirius, that was amazing!"

"That was nothing. That's actually a standard spell for fourth years," he said pointedly.

She blushed a deep red.

"Can you show me again how to hold my wand?" she asked.

He moved to her side and placed her arms where they needed to go. He noticed that she smelled like vanilla and chocolate and he breathed deeply. Noelle's face flashed into his mind, and he shook his head to clear it.

"Try holding your arm like that. It's easier to deflect when your arm is bent slightly," he instructed.

She attempted it once again, and his wand went sailing through the air. She clapped her hands together and laughed.

"Very good," he said. "Now let's keep working on this until you've got it down perfectly."

They worked for over an hour. At the end of his lesson, Laura was doing very well with Expelliarmus. He wondered if she'd be able to manage some of the nastier charms and spells that were necessary when dueling. While they were packing their things up, Sirius looked over at her.

"Laura?" I'm sorry about your parents," he said.

Tears once again filled her brown eyes and she ducked her head.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Hesitatingly, he patted her shoulder. She swung her eyes up to face him and stepped a little closer, her lips parted invitingly. He noticed this and stepped back.

"Laura, I think that since we're going to be working so closely together, we need to get this out in the open. I'm with Noelle. I love Noelle. What happened between you and I was a one-time thing, and it's never going to happen again. It can't happen again. Do you understand?"

Her face turned dark.

"Are you saying that it was a mistake?" she asked.

"It wasn't a mistake, but it was just…lust, I guess. I don't love you and I wasn't in love with you when it happened."

He knew his words were harsh, but he wanted to make sure there were no loose ends.

"Well, I guess that it's your loss," she said, trying to sound flip. "Will you still work with me?"

He nodded.

"I don't know how often we'll be able to get together. Noelle and I have to find a flat, and we're trying to help James and Lily with their wedding, so I don't have a lot of free time. But we'll work something out," he said, noting the crushed look on her face.

"Good. Because, Sirius," she said as she reached for his hand, "I'll do anything I can to make sure that bastard pays."  
He squeezed her hand and then pried his fingers loose.

"Good night Laura," he said as he headed for the door.

Laura watched him go. As she swung her bag to her shoulder, a slow smile spread across her face. She _would_ do anything it took to make Tom Riddle pay. She'd also do anything, anything at all, to make Sirius Black a permanent part of her life.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

"Where have you been? You left for Dumbledore's office ages ago," Noelle yawned as she stretched on the couch.

Sirius debated telling her about Laura, but quickly decided against it. It would only make her upset.

"It was a long meeting. You didn't have to wait up for me," he said, dropping down next to her. He placed his hand on her knee and squeezed gently.

"It's okay. I wanted to see you," she said, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.

"Noelle, why did you tell Dumbledore that you wouldn't help him anymore?" Sirius blurted out.

Taken slightly aback, she pulled away from him.

"I just got sick of him and that creepy Moody fishing around in my brain. I always feel funny after they're done, and it's just not right. There are some things I'd rather keep to myself, you know?" she said defensively.

"But it was such a big help to them, Noelle."

Noelle snorted.

"A big help? Sirius, I've never seen anything that is remotely pertinent to the Order, or the fight against Riddle. I'm not a true Seer, at least not yet. I've told you, I feel more than I see," she said. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "Besides, I really don't want anyone inside my head. Period."

Sirius shook his head and leaned back against the couch.

"You know, not everyone in the Order thinks we should be there. We should be doing everything to prove ourselves to them!"

"Prove ourselves? Are you joking? We didn't ask to join. We're still students, we're barely adults. It's a huge responsibility that Dumbledore has given us, and I don't think that was entirely fair of him!" she stated.

Sirius' grey eyes narrowed dangerously.

"He wouldn't do anything to harm us, Noelle. You have to know that."

Noelle drew back at the fury she saw building in his eyes.

"Are we fighting? Cause I don't want to fight with you," she said softly.

"No, of course we're not fighting. But I thought you understood how important this was to me. To all of us. Noelle, we're fighting for our way of life."

Noelle looked down at her hands. As she opened her mouth to speak, her vision swirled and she grabbed Sirius' hand to steady herself.

_Her chest contracted painfully. A feeling of despair, worse than she had ever felt in her life washed over her body. _

_A tall girl with shining dark hair was seated at a desk. Behind the desk was a much older Severus. The girl's head was bowed and Noelle could feel her anguish. She could also feel the girl's desperate struggle to keep the tears inside. She couldn't make out what Severus was telling the girl, but as she moved closer to him, she could feel his pain as well. Whatever he was telling her was breaking his heart. This girl meant the world to Severus, and Noelle had not a clue who she was. Suddenly the girl's head came up and Noelle felt her anguish change to rage. She spit caustic words out. It couldn't have been anything good, because Severus stood quickly and his face turned ugly. Noelle studied the girl's face and gave a start. It was the same girl she had seen in her vision the other night, but she was a few years younger. She was dressed in Hogwart's robes, and wearing Slytherin colors. Could this be his daughter?_

As quickly as it came, the vision left her. Her stomach was churning and she felt rather ill. Sirius was waving his hand in front of her face, with lines of anxiety crisscrossing his brow.

"I'm fine," she stammered.

"A vision? What was it?" he asked her.

"It was nothing. Really," she assured him.

Sirius' face told her he didn't believe her. She leaned forward and kissed him gently.

"I'm not saying I want out of the Order. All I'm saying is this could be our last chance to be young, and free. Shouldn't we try to make the most of it?" she said.

"Noelle, if this git takes over, no one will have a chance to be young and free. Don't you get that? He will destroy everything that we know to be right and fair. You, me, James, we're safe, because we're pure-bloods. But Lily? She's a Muggle-born, and that's lower than dirt in his book. Remus? He's a half-breed, which is just as bad."

Noelle cut him off before he could continue.

"I understand, Sirius. And I'm willing to help, I really am. But I'm not allowing either of them into my head, ever again. No matter what."

"Even if it meant saving someone's life?" Sirius asked her.

Noelle blanched again, remembering the vision she had about James telling Lily to run while he held someone off.

"It will never come down to that. If I have a vision that would save someone's life, then I'll say something," she stated.

"I hope so."

* * *

It seemed like every other night Sirius was helping Laura. Surprisingly she was doing very well. She had mastered the Shield Charm, as well as a few tricky hexes. Her reaction time was steadily improving and she had actually disarmed him before he could react one night. As they were putting the room back in order, Sirius couldn't help but sneak a glance at the statuesque brunette. She was beautiful, with clear skin and deep brown eyes. She was curvy but at the same time quite athletic. He knew that at one time she had been on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, but for some unknown reason she had quit in their fifth year. Her limbs were long and lean and she was only a few inches shorter than he was. She exuded health and exuberance. 

Noelle, on the other hand, had the type of fragile beauty that made him want to protect her from anything that could do her harm. She was almost always too thin and the dark shadows under her eyes seemed more pronounced in the winter. In fact, he thought, the only time Noelle looked healthy was during the summer, when she had a good tan. During the winter, her porcelain skin was so transparent one could see the small veins in her temples. Everything about her was tiny. True, she had some curves, but she would never be as voluptuous as Laura.

Laura caught his gaze as she brushed her hair over her shoulder. A slow smile spread across her face as she noticed him drinking her in.

"Earth to Sirius," she said flirtatiously.

He jumped and quickly resumed shoving his belongings into his bag.

"Did you need something?" she asked.

He shook his head and straightened up.

"I won't be able to meet up for the rest of the week. I have too much studying to do, plus I have to go to London. So I'll see you when I get back, okay?" he asked hurriedly.

She pouted a little.

"Why are you going to London?" she asked, even though she knew the answer.

"Lily and James found a flat for Noelle and I, pretty close to where theirs is, so I told Noelle we'd go to have a look," he answered, not meeting her eyes.

"Why are you with her? She hasn't been a very good girlfriend to you," Laura said pointedly.

Sirius knitted his eyebrows together.

"I'm with her because I love her. And I really don't think it's any of your business," he said heatedly.

"I didn't mean to make you angry. I thought that since we're friends now, we could talk openly."

Sirius gave a small laugh.

"I wouldn't exactly call us friends, Laura. I'm doing this as a favor to Dumbledore."

Trying to avoid the hurt look in her eyes, he fled from the classroom.

* * *

The next meeting of the Order was after the London trip. Noelle and Lily were excitedly talking about their new apartments, and Lily was thankful that it finally seemed like she wanted to live with Sirius. 

"I love that loft, it's perfect for watching the stars, or reading," Noelle said.

"And you guys have that terrace. I wish we had more than a small balcony."

"Are you a witch or not? You can make that balcony enormous if you wanted to!" Noelle teased.

Lily blushed.

"You know, even after seven years, sometimes I'll still forget that I can use magic?"

Noelle laughed.

"I seriously could not survive without magic. I wouldn't even begin to know the first thing about living as a Muggle," Noelle said unembarrassed.

Dumbledore called the meeting to order and the room fell silent. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any news of random killings, either wizard or Muggle. Most of the meeting was devoted to dissecting old information, trying to find links and patterns. Noelle tried to stay focused on the task at hand, but it was rather difficult with Laura staring at her and Sirius.

It was a rather quick meeting. As they were breaking up, Dumbledore called Sirius over to him. Dropping a kiss on Noelle's cheek, he went to the Headmaster's side. Even though he was not speaking loudly, Noelle had no problem hearing what he was saying.

"I wanted to thank you for taking the time to meet with Miss Armstrong. She tells me that you are quite the teacher," Dumbledore said proudly.

Noelle's eyes bulged out of her head and her jaw dropped. Since when was Sirius meeting with Laura?

Laura went to Dumbledore's side as well.

"He really has been amazing. He's taught me so much," she gushed, squeezing Sirius' arm.

Lily snuck a glance at Noelle. The girl was practically apoplectic.

Sirius looked extremely uncomfortable, especially after he caught sight of the look on Noelle's face. He shrugged Laura's hand off of his arm.

"It was nothing, really," he said, desperate to get to Noelle and reassure her.

It was too late. Noelle had heard enough. Turning sharply on her heel, her robes billowing out behind her, she stormed out of Dumbledore's office. Grabbing his bag, Sirius followed her. Laura watched them go with a wry smile on her face.

* * *

"Noelle, will you slow down?" he yelled down the hall. 

Whirling around and whipping out her wand, she cast a Bat Bogey hex at him. He narrowed dodged it.

"Noelle, what is wrong with you?"

She laughed.

"What is wrong with me? What's wrong with _you_, you…" she rattled off a barrage of words in French, most of which had to do with his character.

"Will you relax a minute? I was going to tell you," he started.

"How long has this been going on? Weeks?" she asked, tears streaming down her face.

"Noelle, stop crying, please. I did this as a favor to Dumbledore. And nothing has happened. I swear to you," he pleaded, taking her hands in his.

"How could you…you know I can't stand her, and she feels the same way about me!" she said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He raked his hands through his dark hair.

"Because I knew you'd have this reaction. I was trying to protect you!"

"Of course I would have this reaction! You know she has a crush on you, she always has! How convenient that Dumbledore asked you. Why not James? Or Remus? Or perhaps an _adult _member of the Order?" Noelle said, her voice rising in octave with every word. "Why you?"

"I don't know, all right?" Sirius roared, finally losing his temper. "Maybe Dumbledore figured it would be easier to have another student do it. Did you ever think that maybe I _am_ an excellent dueler, and the best person for the job?"

Noelle burst into fresh tears and rushed away from him.

"Dammit!" Sirius yelled and he punched the stone wall. "Ouch!"

"Sirius? Is everything okay?" Laura asked in her syrupy voice.

He was in front of her so quickly that it seemed as if he had Apparated. He grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a hard shake.

"Listen Laura," he snarled. "I know exactly what you are trying to do, and I'm telling you right now, it's not going to work. Stop trying to come between Noelle and I, because you're not going to. You will never drive us apart. Leave me alone, leave Noelle alone, and just stay out of our lives. Because if you don't, so help me God, I'll make you wish you had."

He shoved her away from him and ran after Noelle.

Laura watched him run down the hall, rubbing her shoulders where he had held her. She had known that this wasn't going to be easy, but she didn't think that it would be this hard to convince Sirius that Noelle was all wrong for him. Her brown eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she plotted out her next plan of attack.

* * *

Noelle had continued running through the hall until she was well past Gryffindor tower. She climbed the stairs of the Astronomy tower and huddled on a cold stone bench. Within minutes, Sirius came through the archway. 

"Go away, and leave me alone," she sobbed.

"No, I can't do that," he said as he leaned against the wall.

"Why her? Of all people, why her?" Noelle wailed.

He went to her side and sank down onto the bench next to her. He wrapped his arm around her slim shoulders and pulled her slight body against his.

"Dumbledore asked me to," he said simply.

"So you will do everything Dumbledore asks of you?" she asked.

His silence was enough of an answer.

"I see," she said softly. "You still should have told me."

"You're right, I should have. Noelle, if you think that for one instant Laura could ever take your place, you're wrong. I love you, remember?"

She smiled in spite of herself.

"I love you too. It's just that I hate her. She's always staring at me, with this weird look on her face. She always seems to be whispering to her friends when I walk by her. She makes me feel as if she could take you away in an instant."

Her huge navy eyes were open wide as she said this. Instead of answering her, he kissed her. She kissed him back with such ferocity that he fell back against the cold stone.

"Let's go inside," she whispered against his lips.

Shocked, he could only nod. He loved it when Noelle took control like this. She grabbed him by the hand and dragged him inside. Pulling him down the stairs, she headed down toward the tunnel that he had taken her down after Christmas. They were in the small sitting area before he knew it.

She pushed him down on the sofa and pulled her robes over her head. Straddling him, she began devouring his neck with her lips. She took hold of his robes and yanked them apart, tearing them in the process. The same happened to his Oxford shirt. She splayed her fingers across his chest, feeling warmth of his skin. She climbed off of him and stood directly in front of the couch.

His dark silky hair was falling across his forehead, with a few random strands hanging in his eyes. His torn robes and shirt were open, leaving his chest exposed. His legs were open, his hands resting on his knees. In the light of the fire, Noelle had never been more attracted to him. Slowly she began to remove her garments.

First, she pulled her sweater over her head. Then her hands went to the neck of her blouse. One at a time, she slowly unbuttoned it, until it was hanging completely open. She reached around behind her and unfastened her skirt. She let it drop to her feet and then stepped out of it.

During her little striptease, Sirius began to clench his hands over his knees tighter. As he watched her taking off her clothes, he felt himself straining at his clothes. His breath was coming faster and faster, and his heart was pounding. Noelle continued removing all of her clothes until she was completely nude. She crouched at his feet and her hands slowly ran up his legs. She moved closer to him and with one hand brushed the hard ridge in his trousers. He moaned loudly and she grinned. Leaning down, she began to unbuckle his belt with her teeth. He could feel her warm breath through the fabric and it was driving him mental. She tugged at his pants until they were around his ankles. Without a second thought, her mouth was around him.

Noelle had never done this to him, and at the moment, he seriously wondered why. Her tongue was swirling around him, and the gentle suction of her lips was heavenly. She continued until he was nearly at the breaking point, then as quickly as she had started, she stopped. When he lifted his head to protest, she straddled him again and impaled herself on his erection. She cried out loudly as he slid all the way into her. Fearing that he had hurt her, he opened his mouth to ask her, only to have her cover it with her own. She grabbed the back of his head and pressed herself harder against him. She rode him hard and fast, their bodies bucking against each other. Sweat was dripping down his body and he was having trouble seeing. He felt her muscles tighten against him. As she screamed out her pleasure, he let himself go in the most mind-numbing orgasm that he had ever had.

Noelle collapsed against his chest and shuddered in delight. Their heads were bowed together and slowly their breathing was in sync. Blinking slowly, she pressed her lips to his forehead. Sirius couldn't even talk yet. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Don't talk yet," she whispered in his ear.

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist. Burying his face in her breasts, he sighed deeply. He had never felt so content with anyone in his life. Slowly he turned their bodies so they were lying on the sofa. He kept his head nestled against Noelle's chest. She kissed the top of his head and sighed happily. They drifted off to sleep together, confident in the fact that their union was safe.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well, that was extremely smutty...even for me! I seriously held onto this chapter for about a week, debating whether or not I should tone it down...I didn't...let me know what you think... 


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Something changed between Noelle and Sirius after that night in the dungeon. They became even more in tune with each other, and even more inseparable. Noelle was suddenly very at ease, quick to smile and laugh, and even quicker to talk. Sirius, still as focused as ever on the Order, began to take time off from his constant training.

In all, life seemed to have gone back to the way it was before any of them ever knew anything about the organization known as the Order of the Phoenix. There were fewer meetings and no reports of attacks. The four boys started to plan their end of the year pranks. Noelle was so happy to have a normal life back that she eagerly joined in on the tricks.

One morning at breakfast, while she was arguing with James over exactly how to get a goat into the Potions classroom, Etoile soared in, with a letter tied to his scaly leg. Clicking his beak loudly, he stopped in front of Sirius, even though Noelle had her arm out for him to land on.

"Traitor," she said teasingly to her owl, who stared reassuringly back at her. She fed him some bacon while Sirius removed the letter.

"It's from your father," he said in a low voice as he scanned the letter. "He wants to meet with me next weekend."

"I wonder why?" Noelle said, as she stroked Etoile's feathers absentmindedly. "Well, we have a Hogsmeade weekend. We could go there, but we'd have to be sneaky."

"It doesn't say anything about us, Noelle. It says for me to come," he said, scratching his chin. "Do you think he knows about the flat?"

"Sirius, get real. I'm coming. And how could he know about the flat?"

"I don't know. Maybe he wants to know what my intentions are to you," he said with a laugh.

Noelle raised her eyebrows thoughtfully.

"You know, you may be right. My father is relatively old-fashioned. He just may be doing that. What will you tell him?"

"That I've debauched his lovely daughter seven different ways until Sunday already, and fully intend on ravaging her sexually every chance I get," he said with an air of indifference.

Noelle's jaw dropped, Lily's juice flew out of her nose and James laughed so loud the Head Table even noticed.

"You wouldn't dare," Noelle managed to say. "He'd kill me. I mean, really kill me. And kill you, too, as a matter of fact."

"Please. I like my head where it is, thanks," he said with a smile. "I'm going, and I'm going by myself."

Against her better judgment, Noelle nodded her consent.

* * *

The Hogsmeade weekend was dark and dreary, which was unfortunate because it was Valentine's Day. It was too warm to snow, and water seemed to hang in the air everywhere. After they left the castle, Sirius kissed Noelle on the cheek outside of the Three Broomsticks and Apparated to Paris. Noelle felt bad about tagging along with Lily and James on Valentine's Day, so she had grabbed Remus on their way out of the castle and made him promise to hang out with her. 

All in all, it was a boring day. Noelle checked her watch repeatedly, convinced that it was broken because it was moving so slowly. Finally, the sun began to set, and she and Remus made their way back to the castle.

She flew up the stairs, eager to see Sirius. He was seated near the fire. She could sense that he was deep in thought.

"How did it go?" she asked softly.

"You were right. He wanted to know my intentions towards you. He knows about our flat, how, I can only guess."

Noelle bit her lip.

"What did you tell him?"

"That I loved you, and I have only the best intentions towards you. He didn't say much after that. He's not happy that we're going to be living together, so don't be surprised if he tries to talk you out of it. He also gave me this to give to you," he said, handing her a large ebony wood case.

She took it silently.

"Other than that, he was fine. Offered me a drink. We spoke quite civilly. It wasn't really much of anything."

She could tell by reading his face that there were things he wasn't telling her. She decided that she didn't really want to know.

"Well, I'm going to put this upstairs. See you for dinner?"

Sirius nodded and continued his gazing into the fire.

* * *

After dinner, Noelle slowly climbed up to the seventh year girls' dorm. Lily and James were working on some graduation thing with Dumbledore, Sirius was working on dueling, as usual and Remus was downstairs writing to Nicky. Seeing the black chest on her bed piqued her curiosity. She sat down and cast her bed curtains around her. Carefully opening the lid, she saw an envelop with her name scrawled in her mother's handwriting. With her breath caught in her throat, she began to read. 

_My darling daughter Noelle, _

_If you are reading this, then I have passed on. My child, I'm so sorry that I have had to leave you, especially before I had the chance to explain the gift I have no doubt passed on to you. By now, I'm sure you have had some visions, and I'm even surer that you are confused and maybe a little frightened. Please keep in mind that God never gives us more than we can handle. _

Being a Seer is truly a gift. Being an empathic Seer is an even bigger gift. You will feel happiness and fear, and you will feel emotions that are not your own. I know that you will handle this gift with grace and dignity, because you are my daughter, and more than capable of carrying out the duties necessary to being a Seer.

_Enclosed in this case are the tools of our trade, so to speak. There are 20 precious jewels, each known for enhancing magical abilities. In the leather bound book is an explanation on how to identify the proper stone for each individual witch or wizard, and also what each stone means. _

_Please, Noelle. Read each one of your friends, and fit them with the correct stone. Dark and difficult times lay ahead for you all, as I'm sure you're beginning to see. I worry for you, my dear child, and deeply regret that I didn't share this with you in our time together. Keep your loved ones close, darling, but keep your enemies closer. _

_One last thing, before I go. Let Sirius love you, the way you deserve to be loved. Cherish each other. You are two parts of one soul, and were fated to be brought together. Never forget that. _

_I love you, Noelle. I will be watching over you. _

_Your ever-loving mother,_

_Catherine._

By the end of the letter, Noelle was sobbing. Really and truly sobbing. Finally composing herself, she looked down at the case. Her mother wasn't kidding. There were 20 round cut jewels, each about the size of a fist, in the case, each one fitted into it's own compartment. Noelle gasped as her mind calculated the worth of what was in her hands. She removed the leather bound book that was fastened to the lid of the case.

The spells were terribly complex. Noelle's eyes widened as she read through them. Flipping back to the first page, she studied her mother's precise handwriting.

_In order to properly assign a stone to a witch or wizard, one must make a circle of the jewels on the floor. The witch or wizard must stand inside the circle while the Seer reads the incantations. When the incantations have been read, the stones will begin to glow. When there is only light from one stone, the wizard's magical ability has chosen the stone that will aid the wizard the most. _

To properly maximize the benefits of the stones, the stone should be fixed to the end of the handle of the wand. This will help channel the power from the wizard, through the stone and into the wand.

Noelle sat back and sighed. Obviously, her mother had seen far more than she had ever let on. She wondered if she even would have believed what her mother had seen, if she had ever told her. What really struck a nerve with her was her mother's mentioning of Sirius. _So, obviously, my mother saw Sirius and I together in the future. _This caused her to relax slightly, but the pull of the jewel case was too much. She remembered seeing the large opal on the end of her mother's wand, but she never asked why it was there. She flipped through the pages until she found the paragraph that described opals.

**Opal:**

_Aids in restoring harmony on all levels. Opens one to spontaneity of action and decisions. Helps one to understand forces of mysticism, intuition and shamanism. Promotes clarity of sight, helps purify blood, and relieves fatigue. Often times used in childbirth to reduce the effects of pain.__Opens one to balance and clarity in the decision making process. Provides faith in oneself and helps one to release old patterns of being and embrace ones true nature._

That fit her mother to a T. She found the section on how to read herself, and quickly began to set up. She made a circle on the floor next to her bed, thanking the stars that her roommates weren't there. Picking up the book, she stood in the center of the circle and began to read.

Within the first few chants, the stones had begun to glow. Each stone cast a beam straight upward toward the ceiling. Slowly the beams began to bend, forming a cage over her head. She could feel the magic coursing through her veins. Closing her eyes, she called out the last spell. The room went dark, and then was filled with a deep blue light. She looked down and saw the dark blue stone that was still glowing. _Sapphire_, she mused. Flipping through the pages once again, she read the section on sapphires.

**Sapphire:**

_Represents one's connection with divine mind. Opens the mind to beauty and intuition. Improves communication with spirit guides, promotes clarity and inspiration. Alleviates depression by helping the body correctly regulate the chemicals that affect moods._

It certainly was fit for a Seer. She read the section on how to create a capstone on her wand, and quickly said it out loud. _My wand is getting a little tacky, _she thought wryly to herself, studying her inlaid initials and now the sickle-sized sapphire on the handle's base. Already she could feel that her wand's power had intensified.

"Noelle!" Lily's voice rang up the stairs. "What are you doing? Lighting off fireworks?"

With a quick swish of her wand, she sent the stones back into their case.

"No. I'll be right down," she said, smoothing her robes. She knew she would read her friends, and that she would do it sooner, rather than later, but for the moment she wanted to see exactly how the sapphire would effect her magic.

* * *

Spring was nearly upon them, and was starting to be felt in the air. By the beginning of March, the professors' already intense workload became nearly unbearable. Lily was on the verge of hysteria most nights, frantically scribbling on her parchment and chewing on her bottom lip. Noelle, thanking God that she didn't have to worry about Transfiguration, instead tried to focus on Potions, this time without Severus' aid. Remus had given up on trying to make James and Sirius study, and Peter was seldom out of the library. None of them, besides Sirius, had really given a thought to what they would do when they were graduated. Noelle was actually thinking that she would attend a Muggle university, like her father did. Being the Ambassador's daughter her entire life had given her the taste of working in diplomacy, and she was starting to think that she might want to work with the Department of International Magical Co-operation. She had sent a few letters to her father, asking his advice, and he had seemed to think it was a great idea. She filled out some applications, to places with names like Oxford, and Cambridge. She also applied to the Sorbonne, in Paris, just to please her father. 

Finally, in mid March, she decided it was time to read her friends. After midnight, she gathered Remus, James, Lily and Sirius in the common room. They watched her with curiosity mounting as she set up the circle of gemstones. Finally she stood in front of them.

"These were a gift from my mother. She was a Seer, too. Apparently, this is part of my duty as a Seer. These are power stones, and each one has different qualities. These stones are to help aid and enhance your magical abilities. In her letter to me, where she explained all of this, she told me to read all of you, telling me that we were in for dark and difficult times. I don't know what she saw, because she never told me, but my mother never lost her control. If she was warning me, she had a very good reason to do so."

"I don't understand, Noelle," Lily said. "What do you mean, read us?"

"I'm going to find out which stone will help you the most," Noelle said softly. "I have a feeling we're going to need all the help we can get."

Sirius locked eyes with Noelle, silently asking her a question. She shook her head and quickly looked away.

"Who wants to go first?" she said, trying to hide the agitation in her voice.

* * *

Within an hour, all four had been read. Noelle was utterly exhausted. Not knowing how much of her own power and strength was necessary to read her friends, she could barely walk to the couch. Lily was grumbling about her stone. 

"Topaz? Are you kidding me?" she pouted.

"Why are you so upset?" James asked, highly amused. "It's just a stone."

"It clashes with her hair," Noelle said with a weak smile.

"Exactly!" Lily seethed.

James and Sirius both laughed.

"It's not funny! At least you got ruby, James! And Sirius got amethyst, and Remus got…what was it called again, Noelle?"

Noelle struggled to sit up straight.

"Remus was malachite. My mother says in her book that it's a rare for a wizard to pull that stone. It says here that malachite assists one in accepting and allowing for one's shortcomings and proceeding in a manner that is supportive of one's unfoldment. It creates a clear path leading to a desired goal, and it helps one get in touch with the thought that caused physical disorders," she paused for a moment. "I imagine it was the werewolf inside him that was the deciding factor for this stone."

Sirius reached over and began to read off what all of their stones meant.

"James, ruby is known for creating balance in spiritual endeavors, brings about a state of stability and confidence and improves ones ability to deflect negativity. Lils, topaz instills a sense of trust in the universality of all. Allows the user to surrender to the pre-planned destiny that is set-up in the beginning. And let's see…amethyst…damn sissy color…Calms the mind, enhances mental activity and lends strength and will power to control passions and break undesirable habits. Amplifies thought, increases intuition and integrates emotional, mental and spiritual bodies to function as a single unit."

He sat back and ran his hand through his dark hair.

"You know, I'd say that this was pretty accurate. Noelle, what does yours mean?"

She told him.

"See? I think that this was a good idea. It's a kind of magic that I had never heard about."

He leaned over and looked at Noelle's wand, which was held loosely in her limp hand.

"Do we get the stones on our wands too?"

She nodded and took each one of their wands. Within minutes, each wand had its respective witch or wizard's stone on the end cap.

"Just be careful. After I first did mine, I noticed that spells were amplified, especially if I was upset or excited about something. I almost knocked Flitwick off of his books when I was trying to do the Charms work yesterday."

She could barely talk she was so tired. Sirius noticed this and got to his feet.

"You're staying with me tonight. No arguments. I want to keep an eye on you. We don't know what that just took out of you, and I won't have you getting sick again."

She nodded and he carefully lifted her into his arms. Before they even got to the stairs, her breathing was slow and even, and she was fast asleep.

* * *

A few nights later, Noelle was once again in Sirius' bed. At his request, she had read Peter. He had been the most difficult to read up to this point. The stones couldn't decide and she had kept chanting the spells until finally he had pulled abalone. This worried Noelle greatly, but she wouldn't say why until she was safely tucked in Sirius' bed. 

"Abalone is tiger's eye. Its wizards are easily influenced and quick to follow. It's not really a good stone," she confessed. "My mother cautions against anyone with this reading."

Sirius wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.

"Don't worry about it, love," he whispered into her ear. "Peter can be trusted. Even Dumbledore thinks so."

_But what if Dumbledore is wrong?_ a voice in her head said. She shook it slightly and nuzzled into Sirius' neck. She quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Shouts awoke them both. 

"What is it?" Noelle asked fearfully, clutching the blanket to her chest.

Sirius shook his head and peered out of his bed curtains.

"Oh, no…James!" he cried, leaping off of the bed.

Noelle peeked her head around the curtain. James was crumpled on the floor, sobbing. Professor McGonagall was standing awkwardly by his bed.

He pounded the carpet and howled. Sirius quickly embraced him and James collapsed into his arms. He locked eyes with Noelle and she slid off of his bed on the other side. McGonagall was too occupied with the distraught boy in front of her to notice Noelle scampering out of the room.

Quick as a cat, Noelle flew down the boy's staircase and up the girls. She fell to her knees next to Lily's bed and shook her best friend awake.

"Come on Lily. Something has happened. McGonagall just woke James up, and he's hysterical right now."

Lily's eyes flew open. Without a word, she followed Noelle to the seventh year boys' room. James looked up and reached for her. She sank down beside him and wrapped her arms around him.

"What, James? What happened?" she whispered to him.

He couldn't answer. His mouth moved up and down, but no words came out. Noelle looked at McGonagall and read the older woman's emotions. Her hand went slowly up to her mouth and she began to sob.

"Charles and Elizabeth Potter were killed this evening," McGonagall choked out.

Sirius, visibly shocked, keeled over as if he had been punched in the gut. He reeled backwards, not believing what he was being told.

"That's not true. It isn't!" he shouted.

Professor McGonagall nodded.

"I'm afraid it is. All of you, please come with me," she said, waving her hand to include a very confused Remus.

Lily helped James to his feet and half carried him down the stairs. Remus rushed to his other side to help her. Half of Sirius' weight was leaned against Noelle, and she struggled to get him to the common room.

The five friends huddled together on the large couch, arms entwined and heads together. Professor McGonagall went to the fire and called for Professor Dumbledore. While they waited for his arrival, James turned swollen, bloodshot eyes to Noelle.

"Did you See this? Any of it?" he asked.

She shook her head quickly.

"Don't you think if I had, I would have said something?" she managed to answer.

James nodded and squeezed her hand. Noelle reached for Sirius with her other hand, but he had pulled slightly away from them. He was staring fixedly into the roaring fire, his grey eyes heavy with tears. Noelle touched him on the shoulder, and he swung his eyes towards her. She reached for him and he fell forward into her arms, sobbing silently. Noelle closed her eyes and held on as tight as she could to both James and Sirius. The five of them clung to each other, wondering why two loving people, who had been parents to them all, had to leave this world so early.

* * *

**Author's Note** - The "power stones" idea (how they're being used in the context of this story) was 100 mine...but I did have help on the uses and meanings of the stones...thanks to it out to learn more! 


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30 

The cold wind whipped through Noelle's long blonde hair. She shivered and drew her heavy wool cloak tighter around her body. She was trying her hardest not to look at the two identical caskets that were laid out before her. She shifted her gaze to James. He was standing across from her, supported on both sides by Lily and Remus. His hazel eyes were swollen with tears. Sirius stood next to her, but not nearly as close as she would have liked. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, and his head was down. The distance he had put between the rest of them spoke volumes about his demeanor since the murder of the Potters. The wizard began his final reading, and Noelle tried to force herself to pay attention. It was no use. Instead of seeing the Potter's caskets, she could only see the casket of her mother. She shook her head to clear it. Finally, Lily cleared her throat, and Noelle came out of her trance.

The five Gryffindors made their way to the cemetery gates, where Remus fished at portkey out of his robes. Silently, they all laid a finger on the goblet, and were instantly whisked back to the common room.

James angrily tugged off his cloak as he stormed around the room. His fury was frightening to behold, and Noelle and Lily both drew away from him. Finally, he spoke.

"I want him dead. I want all of them dead," he said in a steely voice.

Sirius nodded his agreement.

"Anything it takes, Prongs. Anything," he answered.

Both girls cast wary looks at each other, but said nothing. The three boys headed up to their dormitory to change their clothes, leaving the girls behind without a word.

"I've never seen James so angry," Lily said.

"Can you blame him? His parents are dead, murdered. He'll do whatever he can to avenge them. Wouldn't you?" Noelle asked.

Lily's head came up sharply, and there was a fiery gleam in her green eyes.

"Yes, of course I would. And I intend to help him as well. After all, they would have been my parents soon, too."

Noelle nodded.

"Oui, I understand," she said softly.

She stood.

"I am very tired. I think I will go lay down for a bit," she said as she headed for the stairs.

She climbed the stairs with heaviness in her step. Gone was the light-hearted attitude that had been so apparent the past few weeks. Overnight, James and Sirius had become obsessed with vengeance, and she knew that once they had reached that point, there would be no turning back.

Once she reached her room, she ignored the glances from her other roommates and crawled across her bed. With a flick of her wand, she closed her bed curtains and lay back against the pillows. She knew sleep would not come easy, but she also knew she had to try. The vision took her completely by surprise. Once again, it was of a young dark haired girl.

_The room was shabby and decrepit. The tall girl spun to face someone, anger and pain etched clearly across her face._

_"You didn't know? She never told you?" she said harshly, her voice choked with tears._

Before she could glance further around the room, the scene faded and another one quickly took its place.

_She was seated on an elegant couch, with someone seated next to her. He was reading a message quickly, and his face crumpled._

_"What is it?" she heard herself ask in French._

_"Antoine and Lisette…they are both dead."_

Her eyes flew open. This was something. The kind of vision that everyone was expecting from her. Finally, she could do something. Quickly, she summoned a parchment and quill.

_Olivier,_

_I've had a terrible premonition, and it involves Antoine. Please, contact me as soon as you get this. _

_Noelle_

She sealed it and snapped her fingers for Etoile.

"This is for Olivier, and please, get it there quickly," she whispered urgently.

The owl nodded sagely and flew out the window. Noelle watched him go, biting her fingernails nervously.

_Dumbledore,_ she thought. _I should tell Dumbledore._

She slid off her bed and hurried down the stairs. Lily stood to ask her where she was going, and Noelle waved her off.

"Later, I promise," she called over her shoulder.

Once out in the hallway, the terror she had felt in her room started to recede. She slowed her frantic pace. Did she really need to bother Dumbledore with this? Especially since it didn't involve anyone in the Order? She stopped, and leaned against the wall. It was the first vision she had had where there was hard evidence of an impending event. But why this? Antoine and Lisette weren't married, and Lisette was still in school. She knew that Antoine was working in the Swiss Ministry, like Olivier, but he was working in the Muggle Liason office. And it had to have been Olivier whom was reading the letter. Who else would she have spoken French to, that would have sounded so distressed about the death of Antoine Roussard?

She turned to head back up to Gryffindor tower. She would speak to Olivier, and then let him decide how he wanted to handle this.

As she was walking, her first vision rushed back into her head. Who was this dark haired girl, and why was she so angry? Why did she keep invading Noelle's thoughts?

Noelle threw her head back and choked on a sob. She just wanted everything to go back to normal. She wanted Sirius to be planning pranks, and James to be teasing Lily, and Remus to be happy with Nicky. She wanted her mother to still be alive, helping her get ready to move into her new flat, she wanted James' parents to be eagerly awaiting their only child's marriage to the woman he loved, and she wanted Severus' friendship and loyalty back. She wanted her life back, the life she had known before she had ever even heard of Tom Riddle.

She sank to the cold stone floor and buried her head in her hands. She didn't want this gift anymore. It was more of a curse. A little voice echoed in her head, telling her that she was born to bear this gift, and bear it with grace and dignity. She shook her head childishly and sobbed harder. The sound of footsteps coming down the hall forced her to stop crying and wipe her face.

"Well, well. Look who it is," a silky voice said.

"Hello, Pamela," she answered tightly.

"Dear me, Noelle. Crying in the hallways? Have you no self-respect?"

Noelle whipped her wand out and held it threateningly in Pamela's face.

"Give me a reason, and I swear, you'll be lucky if even your parents will recognize you," Noelle hissed.

Fear flicked across the Slytherin's face and was quickly replaced with arrogance.

"Watch how you talk to me, you Mudblood-loving fool," the tall girl said sharply.

Something deep inside Noelle snapped and she didn't even think about her next move. She pulled her left hand back and hauled off with all of her might. The resounding crack of hand on face rang out down the corridor.

Pamela's head snapped back and Noelle saw a small trickle of blood coming from her nose.

"Oh, now that was the biggest mistake you've ever made, Lemieux. You'll regret that, I swear you will," Pamela said as she backed away from Noelle.

"Stay away from me. I mean it," Noelle said firmly.

The two girls backed away from each other with wands out. Finally, Pamela reached the stairs and scurried down to the Slytherin dungeons. Noelle wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead and resumed her walk to Gryffindor tower.

_I fear I may regret that soon_, she thought to herself as she climbed through the portrait hole.

As the dinner hour approached, the boys still hadn't returned to the common room. With a shrug and a sigh, Lily and Noelle headed down to the Great Hall together. With her eyes focused directly ahead of her, Noelle steadfastly ignored the Slytherin table. Whispers flew, but she still paid them no attention. Taking her usual seat, she scanned the room for the boys. She didn't see them.

A whooshing of wings above her head caught her attention. Etoile soared from the highest rafter and landed on her shoulder. Without hesitation, Noelle removed the letter tied to his leg.

_Noelle,_

_We must talk. I'm heading north immediately. I'll take a room in Hogsmeade. Come find me as soon as you can get away._

Olivier 

Noelle folded the letter carefully and studied the plate of shepard's pie in front of her. She knew she was flirting with disaster just by writing to Olivier, but to meet him in Hogsmeade was just asking for trouble. She also knew she had no choice, and that she had to meet him. The question was how?

She pushed her dinner away, her already non-existent appetite completely gone. Lily looked at her questioningly, and Noelle smiled.

"I'm not very hungry. I'm going to go back to the room," she said.

Lily nodded, looking very skeptical, but she didn't say anything. Noelle rushed from the Great Hall, a plan forming in her mind.

The common room was empty, just as she thought it would be. The real question was were the boys still practicing? She crept up the stairs until she reached the seventh year boys room. She carefully creaked the door open and peered in. Empty.

Thanking her lucky stars, Noelle hurried to James' wardrobe. She opened the doors and immediately found what she was looking for. As she turned to hurry out of the room, a large piece of parchment sticking out of Sirius' bag caught her eye. The map! Quick as a wink, she snatched it from the bag. She knew it didn't guarantee her anything, but the odds were now greatly in her favor. Wrapping the Invisibility cloak around her shoulders, she scampered down the stairs and into the main hallways.

The map truly was incredible. She could see James, Remus, Sirius and even Peter all in an unused classroom on the 5th floor. The majority of students were still in the Great Hall. She knew that by her curfew, she had more than five hours before she had to be back in her dormitory. She continued to peruse the map until she saw what she was looking for.

Within minutes she stood in front of the statue of Barnaby the Barmy. Right behind this statue was a path that would lead her straight into Hogsmeade. She tapped the statue on the head and quickly climbed down into the tunnel. With her wand lit and held in front of her, she took the entire tunnel at a run.

At the end, she was extremely out of breath. On wobbly legs she climbed the ladder that led into Honeydukes basement. Checking carefully for any shopkeepers, she headed up the staircase and into the main shop with the cloak still tightly wrapped around her.

The main street of Hogsmeade was still brightly lit. Witches and wizards strolled the streets, picking up the last few things they needed before the shops closed for the night. Knowing that she would look highly suspicious in her Hogwarts robes, Noelle kept the cloak on until she reached the inn.

"I'm looking for Olivier Roussard. Is he here?" she asked the desk clerk.

The man checked his book.

"Yes he is. May I tell him who is looking for him?" the man asked while observing Noelle's Gryffindor robes.

She hesitated for a moment, and then answered.

"Yes, tell him Noelle Lemieux is here to see him."

The man nodded and turned to a small fireplace. Tossing some powder in the fireplace, he called out, "Room 217!"

Noelle heard Olivier's voice as if it were coming from a tunnel. The man murmured something to him and then nodded.

"Miss Lemieux? You can go right up," he said, still keeping an eye on her.

She nodded her thanks and hurried up the stairs.

Olivier flung the door open before she had even reached it. He quickly embraced her and stepped back to allow her entry into the room. She sat down in a chair next to the fire and rubbed her cold hands together for warmth.

"What did you see? What is going to happen to my brother?" Olivier asked her without sitting down.

She gazed up at him, her navy eyes huge.

"I didn't see anything happen to him," she began.

"Then why do you think he's in danger?"

She raised a blonde eyebrow.

"Do you want to hear it or not?"

Olivier sat and ran his hand through his dark brown hair.

"I'm sorry. Go on."

She took a deep breath and continued.

"I was in a sitting room, on a small sofa. I didn't recognize it. Someone, I assume it was you, was seated next to me, and they were reading a small card. I asked them what was wrong, in French, and they, you, I assume, told me 'Antoine and Lisette are dead.'"

Olivier reeled backwards as she finished.

"How can this be? Lisette is still a child, and Antoine has no enemies."

"I don't think it's going to happen tonight, Olivier. Remember, nothing I've seen has come true," she said.

"Yet," he said darkly. "How old did we look?"

Noelle thought hard.

"Not very old. Hardly that much different than now."

Olivier looked down at the couch they were sitting on. She caught his eye and smiled.

"This isn't the couch."

Olivier abruptly stood.

"This isn't funny, Noelle! This is my brother's life!"

Noelle stood as well, her navy eyes flashing.

"I know what it is, Olivier. Don't make it seem like I don't care about Antoine. That's why I wrote to you, to warn you. Just keep your eyes open, that's all. If I have another premonition, I'll write to you straightaway."

She pulled James' cloak off of the chair where she had tossed it.

'It was nice to see you again," she said, smiling slightly.

He smiled a little as well. Opening his arms to her, she fell forward into them. His embrace renewed her strength and she drank in his vitality.

"What else is wrong, Noelle? You seem very agitated."

She pulled back slightly and smiled.

"It's nothing for you to worry about. I'm fine."

He tightened his arms around her and she rested her head on his chest.

"Be safe going back to school. Are you sure you don't want me to escort you?"

"I'll be fine, I promise."

With a final long look at her former lover, she quickly left the room.

Noelle rushed through the tunnel that led back to Hogwarts. She had been gone just under two hours. With a quick look at the map, she saw that the boys were no longer practicing. Swallowing nervously, she climbed the stairs behind the statue. No one was in the corridor. She slid the statue back into place and began the trek back to Gryffindor. She had been lucky, so lucky so far, and maybe that luck would hold out a bit longer.

Just as she was arriving at the portrait hole, she heard voices behind her. _Shit_, she thought as she scrambled to hide both the cloak and the map. She managed to tug her school robes over them and entered the common room just in front of a few fifth years. Thanking God it wasn't the boys, she rushed back up the stairs to her dormitory, intending on replacing the cloak and the map the next day while everyone was in Transfiguration. She hid them in her trunk and turned to her dressing table.

Her hair was messy and askew. She reached for her comb and methodically straightened it. She had a smudge of dirt on her nose and she rubbed it off. Satisfied her little adventure was completely hidden, she left her dormitory to go find her friends.

The boys all seemed a little worse for the wear the next day. All of them looked tired and sore, except for Sirius. The highly intense training that he had been putting himself through since they had joined the Order was definitely paying off.

It had been so long since Noelle had taken a long, hard look at Sirius. Any awkward extra skin had been burnt off, and replaced with hard, taut muscle. His face was more angular, and had lost any roundness that was leftover from his childhood. His arms and back rippled with every movement, and Noelle became breathless just looking at him. His thighs and calves were solid and sturdy, and his normal swagger had become more purposeful. James, who had had years of Quidditch muscle to build on, just looked even lankier than before. His arms and legs were wiry and his eyes held a fierce determination.

She was hoping to be able to convince Sirius to take a night off of training so that he would relax with her. She was planning on asking him to help her study for Astronomy up in the tower later that night, with a wink and a smile, so that he'd know what she was really after. Humming happily to herself, she practically skipped down the central corridor of the Great Hall. Her eyes automatically found the boys and Lily, all of whom were bent over what looked like an old newspaper.

"What's that you've got?" she asked casually as she sat next to Sirius.

He turned his grey eyes on her, and she could feel the rage emanating from them.

"You tell me, love," he said, trying desperately to keep his fury inside.

Not entirely understanding what he was going on about, she looked over his arm at the newspaper. Her navy eyes went saucer-like as she took in exactly what he had. She blinked quickly, but the image didn't change. She looked at Sirius. His face remained unreadable, but his eyes still glowed furiously. She glanced back down at the old paper, to where she and Olivier were dancing a seductive tango at this past year's Christmas Eve ball. She blinked again, and again and again.

"Where did you get this?" she managed to ask.

"It was sent to me. Anonymously."

"I see."

"That's all you have to say?"

"It was just a dance," she murmured.

"You call that just a dance?"

He waited for her to answer. When she didn't, he sat back. After a moment, he touched his wand to the newspaper.

"_Incendio_," he said quietly.

The paper burst into flames, causing everyone to jump back. After the smoke had cleared, Noelle looked towards Sirius. He was gone. She quickly turned to see where he had gone, but all she saw was the flapping of his black robe leaving the Great Hall. As she turned back to the table, her eyes caught Pamela Stasis, sitting next to Regulus Black, with an extremely satisfied expression upon her face.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

_It _was_ just a dance, _Noelle thought to herself as she left the Great Hall to go to her dormitory. _And it was just a kiss after the dance. An amazing, toe-curling kiss, _that little voice echoed in her head. She frowned. She had thought of telling Sirius, she really had. But the more and more she thought about it, she decided that it would be getting him angry and upset for no reason. She stopped in her tracks. _That's it_, she decided. _I'm not going to let him make me feel guilty for nothing_.

She turned sharply on her heel and scampered back down the stone staircase. She didn't need to be a Seer to know exactly where he was. Sometimes he was so predictable. She pushed the front doors open and hurried down the expansive front lawn towards the lake. She carefully picked her way over the boulders and spotted him standing on the lake's shore.

"Sirius!" she called out.

He turned to face her.

"I'm sorry," she began.

"You should be!" he interrupted her.

"Wait one second. What I was saying, before you interrupted me, was that I'm sorry that you are so angry with me. I didn't do anything wrong. I danced with an old friend, and someone took a picture. I'm sorry that you took it the wrong way, and I'm sorry that it looks worse than it was. But I'm not sorry that I danced with Olivier. I'll never be sorry that he and I are friends."

Sirius stood with his mouth agape. He started to speak several times, but couldn't think of the right words.

"If you're honestly ready to end our relationship because your brother's idiot girlfriend is trying to come between us, then so be it. I'm sick of defending myself for every little thing that happens. You're not perfect either, you know."

Sirius was quiet for a long time while Noelle stood with her arms crossed over her breasts.

"It's just hard," he finally said.

"What's hard?" she asked with her eyebrows raised.

He looked up at her with sadness in his grey eyes.

"Hard to see you in someone else's arms. Hard to see you look at someone who isn't me the way you were looking at Olivier," he admitted.

"And you think it wasn't hard to hear that you were spending way more time with Laura then you were with me? Sirius, I never get to see you anymore, and I know that it's for a good reason, but you've let your desire to fight Voldemort take over every aspect of your life!"

"There is more than a good reason to why I'm training so hard," he said tightly.

She reached for his hand and squeezed.

"I know. And I also know that you've got your heart set on proving everyone wrong about you. You're trying to set yourself apart from your family, but Sirius, you don't even need to try! You're heads and shoulders above them, and you always will be!"

She leaned in and kissed him softly.

"You're the strongest person that I've ever known, and you have no idea. James, Lily, me…we're all leaning on you, and that can't be easy. But you've got to slow down. You're overreacting to small, trivial things."

Sirius stared into her navy eyes with a fire that she hadn't seen in a long time.

"It doesn't help when I'm getting pictures of you all over that kid. That nearly killed me Noelle. I felt it as a physical pain. You're the only constant in my life, and when I saw that picture, I panicked."

Noelle shifted her eyes down.

"I love you, Sirius. But you can't be so possessive. You have to remember that I had a life before I met you, and that the people that were in that life are still there, and I'm still close to them. If I wanted to be with Olivier, I'd still be with him. I want to be with you."

"Please, say that again," Sirius said, his voice low.

She stepped closer to him and kissed him soundly.

"I want to be with you."

His arms went around her and tightened. She gripped his upper arms, amazed at how much larger they had gotten. His tongue darted into her mouth, teasing her tongue and nipping at her lips. She groaned. It had been weeks since their last physical contact, and she had sorely missed it. Her entire body began to tingle and she reluctantly pulled away.

"Let's go back to the castle," she whispered against his mouth.

"No way. I can't wait that long," Sirius said as he tugged her down to the ground.

He was insatiable. His hands were everywhere, and his lips were every place. The world started to spin as he caressed her body, removing pieces of clothing and tossing them to the side. She couldn't think and she couldn't speak. All she could do was kiss him back and luxuriate in the feel of his touches.

When they were both undressed, he took her hands and pinned her arms up over her head. There was something wildly erotic about being dominated like this, and she found that she enjoyed it immensely. She gave a feeble attempt at struggling, just to see what he would do. His hands held her down firmly and she smiled wickedly up at him. His eyes asked her a silent question and she nodded ever so slightly. With one hand, he kept hers above her head, and with the other, began to stroke her. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she let him touch her. Finally, her body writhing beneath his and her whimpers of pleasure became too much to bear. He entered her roughly, causing her to cry out. He pounded into her, every thrust causing her to moan even louder. He felt her muscles contract tightly around him and had to fight to keep from losing his control. While her body convulsed, he thrust harder until he couldn't take anymore. He shouted as he came, and the sounds of their combined ecstasy echoed over the silent grounds.

After he was spent, he collapsed on top of her, still holding her hands over her head. A few minutes went by and he finally came back down to earth. Noelle was motionless beneath him, her face heated, but content. He released her arms and she slowly brought them down. Her wrists were red and chafed, and he gave her an apologetic look.

"It's alright. They don't hurt," she whispered as she kissed him. "In fact, I rather liked it," she admitted, her face hot with embarrassment.

"Don't be embarrassed. I liked it too. Did I hurt you? I'm sorry, I couldn't control myself."

She shook her head.

"I'm fine."

He eased off of her and sat back. She crawled over his body and snuggled into the crevice between his shoulder and his neck. Her entire body was tingling and she felt as if she were on fire. His long fingers trailed over her skin, and with the cool late April breeze that was coming off of the lake, she finally began to cool down.

About an hour later, she awoke. Sirius was still idly rubbing her back and arms, staring up at the stars. She kissed his neck, tasting the salt of his sweat.

"Ready to go back?" he asked her, his voice hoarse and cracking.

"Not really, but we don't have a choice, do we?" she said.

They both stood and started pulling their clothing back on. Once they were dressed, Sirius laced his fingers through Noelle's for the walk back to the castle. She winced, just now feeling the effects their lovemaking had taken on her body.

"I did hurt you!" Sirius said, gazing into her eyes with concern.

"I'm fine, I promise," she swore.

"I got too rough, too excited. I'm so sorry, love," he said, looking contrite.

"Sirius, I'm fine. Besides, I'll put up with a little pain as long as I can experience something that amazing again," she said with a wink.

He puffed his chest out in mock arrogance and she laughed. Once at the doors, she checked her watch.

"It's only 9:30. Still pretty early," she said, hoping he'd take the hint.

"What's that little suggestion I hear in your voice?" he asked teasingly.

"Oh, nothing…it's just that I haven't been with you like that for quite some time, and now that my memory has been refreshed as to how good it is, I don't want the night to end," she said flirtatiously.

"I don't know if you can handle anymore. Actually, I don't think I can handle anymore," he said, sweeping her into his arms and kissing her.

She laughed and nodded her agreement.

"Well, can I stay with you tonight?" she asked.

"You know you don't even have to ask that."

* * *

The next morning at breakfast, they walked into the Great Hall hand in hand. Noelle's eyes swept over the Slytherin table briefly and locked on Pamela. She looked discouraged, and she nudged Regulus. Whatever he said to her caused her to turn away and pout, while Regulus turned to look at his older brother. Noelle's breath caught in her throat when she saw what was unmistakably a wistful look in the younger Black's grey eyes.

Noelle and Sirius attended their morning classes together and then reluctantly split when he headed to Transfiguration. Noelle left him at the door and headed back to the Gryffindor common room. As she made her way through the entrance hall, she sensed someone watching her. She gripped her wand tightly within her pocket and kept walking towards the stairs. She had almost reached them when a hand closed over her shoulder.

She yelped and jumped away, her wand out and at the ready.

"Easy! It's only me!" Regulus said with both of his hands up.

She lowered her wand and prepared to spit a caustic reply to him, but them remembered his assistance outside the Slytherin common room the night Severus' parents died and the look on his face earlier that morning.

"What's up?" she asked, trying to still her pounding heart.

"I wanted to apologize about what Pamela did. It was mean and bitchy, and I'm glad that you and my brother worked everything out."

"There was nothing to work out. But you can tell her that if she tries another move like that again, she will truly regret it," Noelle said tightly.

Regulus raised his black eyebrows.

"I'm just sick of people trying to break Sirius and I up! I'm sick of people coming in between us, and causing us to fight. We just want to be left alone!"

"Well, it's not easy being a Black, so I can't imagine it would be easy dating one."

"Aren't you everything your parents want you to be though?" she asked, a little more sarcastically than she meant.

"It would appear that way, wouldn't it?" Regulus said and turned to walk towards the Slytherin dungeons.

"Regulus, I'm sorry! That didn't come out right," Noelle said.

"It's okay. Really, it is. See you later Noelle," he called out.

She watched him go, with a strange lump in her throat.

"Oh, and Noelle? Tell my brother I miss him, alright?" he asked softly.

Almost imperceptibly, Noelle nodded, and her eyes watered slightly.

Regulus gave her a little smile, and hurried down the corridor toward the Slytherin dungeons.

* * *

At dinner that night, Noelle leaned close to Sirius and whispered in his ear.

"I think you should talk to Regulus. He told me today to tell you that he misses you. He also apologized for his girlfriend being such a brat."

Sirius turned with a look of astonishment on his face.

"Regulus said he missed me? How many potions do you think he's on?" he said incredulously.

Noelle swatted his arm.

"I really think that he does. When I went to the Slytherin dungeons that night to try to talk to Severus, he made me leave, because he was genuinely frightened that something would happen to me. I can see it in his eyes. They look more like yours now, and not so harsh and cold."

"I'll try Noelle. But it's not going to go anywhere," Sirius said with a frown.

"Well, take some time to think about it yourself, and then go talk to him," she said.

As she finished speaking, her vision went cloudy and started to swirl. She grabbed onto Sirius' arm to steady herself, but found he was no longer there.

_The dark haired girl whirled around to face someone. _

_"And you knew! You've known forever who I really was! How could you keep something like that from me? I trusted you!"_

_"Please, Samantha, I never meant to hurt you, or cause you any pain. I was doing what I thought was best for you!"_

_The girl laughed, almost maniacally. Her fine features were twisted in anger and sadness, and her blue eyes shot flames._

_"Best for me? I don't even know who I am anymore!" she shouted. _

_Anguish overtook her and she collapsed onto the cold stone floor. Her shoulders shook with her heavy sobs._

_The man whom she had been screaming at went to her side immediately. _

_"Leave me alone, Severus!" she cried._

Noelle stood with her mouth agape as she watched an older Severus, grief clearly etched on his face as well; back slowly away from the girl he had called Samantha.

She came back to the present with Sirius shaking her gently.

"Vision, love?" he asked her casually, but she could hear the nervousness in his tone.

She nodded, unable to speak.

"Do you want to go lie down?" he asked her.

She nodded, and quickly rose from the bench. He stood to follow her, and she shook her head.

"Alone. Please," she managed to choke out.

Trying not to let his hurt show on his face, Sirius helped her climb over the bench, and watched her hurry from the dining hall. He sat back down, and tried to regain his appetite.

"Is she okay?" Lily asked. James watched him closely for his answer.

"I think so," he said carefully. "But something about the vision she just had scared her to death."

* * *

Noelle rushed up the stairs so fast that she nearly tripped. She flew right past the portrait of the Fat Lady, and continued her climb up to the top-most floor of the castle. When she arrived at the door to the Astronomy Tower, she pushed it open and stepped outside into the cool night air. She stumbled over to the benches and sat. As she touched the soft cushion on the bench, she remembered being up here with Sirius. This was where they had first made love. She hadn't been a virgin, but she had been with him. She thought of the way his grey eyes had lit up when they were finally together. She shoved the memory out of her head, and tried to focus on the vision she had just had.

Who was this girl, this Samantha? At least now, she knew her name. And it had to be sometime in the near future. Severus looked older, but no more than twenty years. Just then it struck her. If this was Severus' daughter, like she had originally thought, why was the girl calling him by his first name? Why was she so angry with him? Obviously, he had kept something from her, and by the fury on the girl's face, and the guilt in Severus' eyes, it was no little matter.

Noelle let her head fall forward and her hair hung in long blonde sheets that hid her face. Apparently, this girl somehow fit in with her future, otherwise, why would she be seeing her?

"You alright?"

The voice, even though she hadn't heard it in months, was still comfortingly familiar. She raised her head and wiped her eyes.

"Severus?" she whispered.

"How are you?" he asked, his voice deeper than she remembered.

"I'm fine, I guess. You?" she asked.

"I'm doing all right."

He stood taller and straighter than he had before, and there was a deep burning in his ebony eyes. His jaw was set firm, and he, like Sirius, had really filled out.

"Is it true that you joined them? Those Ministry fools?" he asked, his voice biting and sharp.

"Oui, it's true. And it's true that you joined him, isn't it?" she threw right back at him.

"Those bastards killed my parents Noelle."

"And your bastards killed James'. Does that make it even now?" she said, still feeling acutely the loss of the Potters, and knowing that he would always believe the Ministry was guilty of his parents' murders.

"I'd advise you to get out now, while you still can. It's going to get ugly, Noelle."

"It's already ugly! And I can't get out, no more than you can! Don't you think I've had enough?"

Severus rocked back on his heels and looked down at his old friend.

"You're a target, and Lily is too. I'm warning you, Noelle. Get out now."

She stared into his black eyes, and saw fear and regret.

"You told him, didn't you? You told him I was a Seer?" she asked, her voice filled with panic.

He didn't need to answer. She scrambled to her feet and rushed for the door. Once she had reached it, she spun to face him.

"How could you?" she shrieked. "How could you sell me to him like that?"

"I had no choice, Noelle! He got it out of me, I didn't tell him anything! He read my mind!"

Hot tears raced down her face and she swiped at them angrily.

"I trusted you, Severus, even after all that went wrong. I can't believe you would do that to me!"

She tried to leave the tower, but Severus took a firm grasp on her upper arm, his fingers biting into the flesh.

"Let go! You're hurting me!" she said.

"Not before I tell you this. Learn Occlumency," he hissed.

Something about her still tugged at his heart, and he did something he never thought he would ever do again.

Roughly, he pressed his lips down on hers. She struggled and finally managed to shove him away, and promptly lost her balance. She glared up at him from the stone floor, clutching her right ankle.

"I hate you, Severus, more than I've ever hated anyone in my entire life!" she spit at him, wiping his saliva from her mouth.

His face twisted into a bitter smile.

"I'm trying to help you, you little fool. I'm serious. Learn it, for your own good, and for the good of those scum you call friends."

With a last cruel glance, he stepped over her and trotted down the stairs, whistling a mindless tune as he went.


	32. Chapter 32

Noelle made her way back to Gryffindor tower as quickly as she could. Her ankle was throbbing and her eyes were clogged with tears. She arrived at the portrait hole and choked as she gave the password. The portrait swung open and she stumbled inside.

The common room was deserted. Her shoulders slumped and she limped over to the couch. _That's it, _she decided. She wasn't keeping this a secret. She hobbled over to the staircase and pulled herself up to her dormitory.

Lily was stretched out on her bed, her Charms text in front of her. At the sound of Noelle's entrance she looked up. Leaping off her bed, she rushed to her side.

"What happened? Why are you limping?"

"I'll tell you in a moment. I need you to help me back downstairs, and then go get the boys. Please," she said with a grimace of pain.

Nodding, Lily complied. She settled Noelle down on the couch and then flew up the stairs to the boys' room. Within seconds, James, Remus and Sirius were following her into the common room. They took seats around her and waited for her to begin.

"I was up in the Astronomy tower. Severus was there. We talked, and he told me that Tom knows I'm a Seer. He also told me to learn Occlumency, whatever that is. He tried to kiss me, and I pulled away. Then I tripped and twisted my ankle," she said quickly and matter-of-factly.

Lily immediately pulled her wand out and healed Noelle's ankle. Warmth spread through her foot and leg, and it instantly felt better. She stopped rubbing it and finally looked up to meet the group's gaze.

Sirius was frightening to behold. His grey eyes were flaming hot and his face was white with anger. With his fists clenched, he rose from the couch and headed for the door.

"Sirius, come back! Don't worry about him, I took care of it. We need Dumbledore, straightaway."

James rose and physically pushed Sirius back to the couch.

"I'll go get him. Padfoot, I'm warning you. Don't leave this tower," he said as he left the common room.

Sirius sat stiffly next to Noelle. Looking at her tear-streaked face, he softened.

"Are you alright, love?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm just a little shaken up."

He kissed her softly on the forehead and wrapped an arm around her shoulders while they waited for Dumbledore to arrive.

He rushed through the door in a mass of swirling purple robes with James right behind him.

"Miss Lemieux. Tell me exactly what transpired between you and Mr. Snape."

Noelle took a deep breath and tried to gather and organize her thoughts. Haltingly, she began.

I went to the Astronomy tower because I had a strange vision that I wanted to work out. I didn't realize Severus was there until he spoke to me. He told me to be careful, because Tom knew my secret. When I asked him how, he didn't answer. Then I asked him if he had told him. He still didn't answer, but I could tell by reading his face. He said that Tom had read his mind. He's joined him, Professor. He believes the Ministry killed his parents. I told him that wasn't true. Then he told me that we were in great danger, especially Lily, because she's Muggle-born."

At this Lily and James' heads both shot up. Panic slowly crawled across Lily's pretty face and she reached for James' hand.

"You didn't say that earlier," James whispered tightly.

"I wanted to wait for Dumbledore," Noelle answered, her voice trembling.

"Go on, Noelle," Dumbledore said.

Noelle began again.

"He told me to learn Occlumency. I don't know what that is. But he said, 'If you know what's good for you, you'll learn it.' What is it, Professor? I know you've mentioned it to me before."

"It's a way of blocking your thoughts from an outside source that is trying to read them. There is a charm used to enter someone's mind, and then read his or her thoughts and memories. Occlumency is a counter-tactic that renders the charm useless."

"So in a way, he was trying to protect me," Noelle mused out loud.

"If he was trying to protect you, then he wouldn't have told Tom that you are a Seer," James said hotly. "Don't be so forgiving, Noelle."

Noelle bristled at the tone in James' voice. She opened her mouth to respond but shut it at the look on Dumbledore's face.

"Right then. So Occlumency lessons for all of you. Noelle, you're a top priority. You must, I repeat must learn this technique. If Tom can somehow read your mind, or teach one of his followers to do so, the Order is in serious jeopardy."

Sirius' head came up sharply.

"Wait. You mean, someone else, say, a student that has joined his group, say _Severus Snape, _could enter Noelle's mind and read her thoughts? Just like that?"

"Yes, of course. But one must maintain eye contact. Someone who is a novice would be very clumsy at Legimency. It would be nearly impossible for them to enter your mind undetected.

Noelle's face blanched. She didn't want anyone seeing her thoughts, especially with these strange visions that had begun. She wrung her fingers nervously. What if someone already had?

Dumbledore stood and faced each one of them in turn.

"I know this is quite a load on all of you. Remember, each of you was chosen for a reason. Watch out for each other."

He smiled at each of them, and exited the common room.

Lily was still seated on the couch, her arms wrapped around her waist and her head down.

"What about my family?" she asked suddenly. "Are they safe?"

James gripped her hand.

"Don't worry Lily. We'll talk to Dumbledore tomorrow. He'll figure out something."

"What if tomorrow is too late, James?" she asked, tears flooding her emerald eyes. "What if he's on his way there right now?"

The four swung their eyes to Noelle.

"What?" she asked.

"Have you seen anything?" Remus asked her.

"Of course not! Don't you think that I would have told you?" she asked, feeling slightly hurt.

"You did have a vision earlier tonight, love. And you looked pretty frightened by it," Sirius said gently.

"Yes, I had a vision, and it was a little unsettling. But it had nothing to do with Lily's parents. I promise," she swore.

"Come on Lils. Let's go to bed. You can stay with me tonight," James said as he helped her off of the couch.

The two of them slowly climbed the stairs back to the boys' room. Remus followed, his steps heavy.

"What was the vision about, Noelle?" Sirius asked after a few minutes.

"I really don't want to talk about it."

"Why won't you tell me? It obviously freaked you out."

"Because it doesn't make any sense. I have visions of people that I don't even know, people I've never seen." _And probably don't even exist yet_, she thought to herself.

She rose from the couch, testing her weight on her bad ankle. Lily's charm had done the trick and it felt as good as new.

"I'm going to bed. I'm exhausted," she said.

She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"If you want," she said with a small smile.

He rose as well and followed her up the stairs. They crept into her room and crawled into bed behind the heavy crimson curtains. Sirius cast a Silencing charm, then propped himself up on his elbow. He gazed down at Noelle's sleepy face and smiled. He leaned down and kissed her softly. Her eyelids fluttered and she smiled back at him. Turning onto her side, she snuggled against his chest and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning at breakfast it was apparent that no one had slept as well as she did. She entered the Great Hall just behind Sirius and walked over to the Gryffindor table. She could feel eyes on her as soon as she entered, but waited until she sat down to see who it was. Not surprisingly, Severus was carefully watching her over his coffee mug. She pointedly looked away and concentrated on Lily.

The poor girl was ghostly white. Her green eyes looked dead and she had dark circles under them. James was trying, quite unsuccessfully, to get her to eat. He finally gave up, and just took her hand. The large diamond on her finger caught the light and sent prisms over the table.

Classes that day were monotonous. One after another, with each and every teacher determined to remind all the students of the impending N.E.W.T. exams. They had less than a month and a half to study.

"How did they come up so quick?" Sirius moaned as he sank into his seat next to James in the Potions dungeon.

Noelle laughed.

"It's not like you didn't know about them," she teased, turning to Lily and expecting to hear a similar comment.

The redhead was staring down at her cauldron blankly, as if she had forgotten everything about Potions making.

"Lily?" Noelle asked, poking her shoulder.

"Hmm?" Lily answered, turning to face Noelle.

"Nevermind."

She cast a worried glance at James and saw that he was intently studying his fiancée's face, anxiety clearly etched on his brow.

After the last boring class of the day, Noelle decided to skip dinner. She wasn't hungry, and she felt like a walk. She slipped away from her friends and hurried out the front door.

The grounds were bright with early evening sunshine. It glittered off of the lake and made her eyes hurt. She turned away from the glare and headed to the rocks that littered its shore.

Finding her favorite boulder, she climbed up and tucked her robes underneath her. She propped her chin up on her hand and stared out over the grounds. She willed herself to have a vision. It came more suddenly than she ever could have expected.

_The girl, whom she now knew to be called Samantha, was standing next to three younger students. Her Slytherin robes were a sharp contrast to the Gryffindor robes of the other three. There were two boys, a redhead and a black-headed boy, and a girl with long bushy brown hair. The black-headed boy turned his head slightly and Noelle gasped. He was the spitting image of James. He and the brunette girl were crouched next to the redhead, who seemed to have an injured leg. Noelle moved closer to study the scene. Samantha had her wand drawn and locked on something that Noelle couldn't see. Her expression was one of disgust and anger, with a tinge of sympathy. Fear didn't show itself with this girl. Her dark blue eyes were hard and steady, and she seemed to be in complete control. Her wand hand was steady and sure, and her stance showed her authority. Noelle stood in awe of this girl, who looked to be no older than she herself was now. The hardness of her gaze made her wonder what had happened to this girl to make her so bitter and jaded. _

_ "Why did you come here?" Samantha asked in a steely voice, her words sharp and perfectly pronounced. _

_ Noelle swiveled her head to see whom she was talking to. She screamed when she saw the disheveled Sirius from her earlier vision. _

The screaming shook her out of her vision and brought her back to the present. Sirius looked as decrepit as he had in the last vision she had had of him. Old and starved, with a terribly haunted expression in his eyes.

Noelle scrambled off the rock and set her feet down firmly on the hard sand. Her thoughts were racing, and she had to take deep breaths to settle herself. Closing her eyes, she could still see the emaciated Sirius, seared on her memory. She shook her head to clear it, and heard someone yelling her name.

She came around the rocks and saw Sirius, shining and young, running full speed down the lawn. His hair was a mess and his face was pale.

"Come on, we've got to go. It's Lily."

Without stopping to ask, Noelle sprinted back to the castle with Sirius on her heels. She barreled through the doorway and took the stairs two at a time. Out of breath, and panting dangerously hard, she skidded to a halt in front of Dumbledore's office.

"Ice Mice," Sirius gave the password to the gargoyle and the staircase opened.

Not waiting for it to carry her all the way to the top, she climbed the revolving stairs, almost losing her footing. Without knocking, she flung the door to the office open and rushed inside. Lily was sitting with her head between her knees, rocking back and forth. A keening sound was coming from the girl. Noelle quickly went to her and touched her back.

"They're dead! Both of them!" she screamed.

Noelle reeled back and looked to Dumbledore. The professor had never looked older or more helpless.

"He killed my parents!" Lily screamed again.

Noelle sank to her knees and embraced her. Lily slid off of her chair and clutched her best friend. She looked to Dumbledore for an explanation.

"We had Aurors watching the house. Tom's followers Apparated around them and entered the house. The Aurors sensed the Dark magic and there was a battle. The Evans' were killed just before they retreated. The Aurors found them in the house."

James was listening with his eyes closed. The scene was all together too familiar for all of them.

Lily turned wild eyes on Dumbledore.

"I knew this was going to happen! You should have done more to protect them!"

She buried her face in Noelle's shoulder again and sobbed.

"What about Petunia?" James asked.

"She was not present."

"You know she's going to blame me. She hates the fact that I'm a witch, she hates me!"

James knelt by Lily's side and Noelle relinquished her to him. He rubbed her back and whispered softly into her ear.

Noelle rose and brushed the tears from her own cheeks.

"The funeral?" she asked, while taking Sirius' hand.

"The end of the week. Why don't you both go pack for yourselves, Mr. Potter and Miss Evans?" Dumbledore said quietly.

The three Gryffindors slowly left Dumbledore's office.

"I can't believe this is happening again. Didn't we just do this with James' parents?"

Noelle nodded woodenly and gave the password. Silently, they filed inside. Noelle climbed the stairs to her dormitory. She flicked her wand over to Lily's wardrobe and a satchel flew out and landed neatly at her feet. She did the same to her own wardrobe and gathered the two bags. Sirius and Remus were already in the common room waiting for her.

Back in Dumbledore's office, Lily and James were standing resolutely by a glowing book. Gone was the soft innocence that had always lived in Lily's face. It had been replaced by a hard, determined expression that was twinned in James' face. It was eerie how alike they looked. With a start, Noelle realized that she had seen the exact expression on Samantha's face in her vision, and it made her wonder once again who the girl was, and why she was so contemptuous.

Again, without words, the five friends touched the book, and were whisked to Lily's family's home in Yorkshire.

They let themselves in the back door of the house. They could hear others in the front rooms and Lily half-heartedly called out for her older sister.

Petunia came rushing into the kitchen.

"What are you doing here? You're not welcome!" she sneered.

Lily looked at her incredulously.

"Are you serious? They're my parents too!"

"And it's your lot that got them killed. Get out! You're not staying in this house!"

The two sisters squared off against each other and Noelle could see Lily going for her wand.

"Lily! Don't!" she called out. "We'll stay in a hotel."

Petunia gave the petite French girl a disapproving sniff.

"Listen to your little foreign friend. Get out of this house, immediately."

Physically taking Lily by the arm, Noelle pulled her back outside. The boys were still standing in the back yard.

"We heard Petunia. She's pretty scary," James said with a little smile on his face.

"She's a beast," Lily replied between clenched teeth, but a small smile flickered on her face as well. "Come on. There's a hotel downtown."

Once they were all checked in, Noelle started to unpack for herself and Sirius. She rifled through his bag and realized that he hadn't brought any Muggle clothes. She groaned and hurried into the sitting room of the suite. The boys were seated around a glowing box that Lily called a television.

"It's amazing. It's almost as if these Muggles have learned some magic!" James said in awe.

Noelle delicately cleared her throat.

"Sirius? What do you plan on wearing to the funeral tomorrow?" she asked innocently.

"My best black robes. Why?" he asked with his eyes still locked on the screen.

"You can't wear robes to a Muggle funeral!"

"Well, you're the Transfiguration expert. Fix them for me."

Grumbling, Noelle spun on her heel and slammed the door of their room behind her.

Sirius leaned over and quickly cast a Silencing charm.

"Okay. Here it is. Think she'll like it?" he asked; as he flipped open a velvet box.

Nestled in the soft fabric was a large brilliant cut diamond. Five tiny diamonds were set in the band on each side of the center stone. It twinkled and sparkled in the dim light of the sitting room.

James and Remus both nodded their approval.

"I've had it in my pocket for the last three weeks. Just can't seem to find the right time to give it to her," he said, shoving the box back into his pocket.

"I highly doubt a funeral is the right place," Lily said with a tiny grin as she emerged from the bathroom.

"Oh, shit. Lily, you can't tell her!" Sirius warned.

"Like I would," she said with a smile, but it never reached her eyes. "At least my mother got to see my ring, and meet my fiancé."

James pulled her into his arms as she began to sob again.

Noelle tilted her head as she studied Sirius' best robes. She waved her wand once and the fabric turned into the lightest summer weight wool. With a flick of her wrist, they changed to a deep charcoal grey. One more flick and the long robe became pants and a jacket. She Transfigured one of his beat up old tee shirts into a dress shirt of soft Egyptian cotton. An old sock became a black silk tie. Satisfied that he would look appropriate, she headed to the bathroom to take a long hot bath.

The hot water soothed her frayed nerves and calmed her mind. She absent-mindedly ran a washcloth over her skin as her thoughts began to wander.

_Samantha was walking next to a darkly handsome boy who didn't look much older than twenty-one. Her dark brown hair hung over her shoulders in shining waves, much longer than it had been in any previous vision. Her dark blue eyes were soft for a change, and a small smile danced around her lips. She liked this boy, Noelle could tell. They seemed to at some sort of beach. Noelle could hear waves on the shore in the background. It was the first time that Noelle had had a vision of a happy Samantha, and the first time where she seemed to be wearing Muggle clothes. She wore faded blue jeans, a snug white tee shirt and an unzipped grey sweatshirt. They were talking, but Noelle couldn't make out any words from that distance. She edged closer and listened. The boy's accent was very strange. American, she thought, but was that a touch of French in there too? _

_ "I know that you hate her, but you need to give her a chance. She's actually a pretty amazing woman," the boy said. _

_ "I don't hate her. I don't even know her," Samantha replied, the tone in her voice signaling the end of the conversation. _

_ "But she's your mother, Sam. And I know she loves you." _

_ Samantha laughed derisively and they wandered away. _

Noelle quickly got out of the bath. She dried off and climbed into bed naked. About an hour passed and she still couldn't fall asleep. Sirius opened the door quietly, and then saw that she was awake.

"How's Lily?" she asked.

"Sleeping. James made her drink a few glasses of wine that he put sleeping potion in. She'll finally get a good night's rest."

He caught sight of his new suit. He whistled.

"Wow Noelle. These look great."

He leaned down and kissed her. Shedding his clothes, he slid in beside her. She quickly settled into the safety of his arms. They both sighed, wondering why this path had been chosen for them, and how many others had to die before it was over.


	33. Chapter 33

_Funerals suck_, Noelle thought to herself as she followed Lily and James out of the cemetery. Her black silk dress was clinging uncomfortably to her back with sweat and she wished desperately for a Cooling Charm.

The funeral service itself was rather strange to her. She herself was Catholic, and used to the profoundly intense Mass that was a Catholic funeral. The Church of England service seemed terribly impersonal, and much shorter. She had always found it strange that her parents were so devout, being that they were magical, but her mother had always told her that if magic ever failed her, she would always have her religion to fall back on. A memory plopped into her mind, and she recalled her father telling her that God tests you, and he never gives you more than you can handle. This had been after his father, her grandfather André had passed away suddenly. François Lemieux had been estranged from his father, until Noelle's birth. She was the first, and only grandchild that he had had.

Unexpectedly it struck her. She was the last of the Lemieux, and the St. Martin family. The feeling of responsibility to her family suddenly weighed very heavy on her mind.

Petunia had made it quite clear that they were not welcome at the Evans family home after the funeral. Lily didn't even protest, and the five Gryffindors quietly got into a taxi to bring them back to the hotel. James was trying his hardest to make his fiancé smile.

"Petunia's fiancé? What's his name? Sheldon?" he asked.

"Vernon," Lily replied quietly.

"What a great oaf he is, eh? All that simpering, 'Oh, yes, Petunia…Whatever you say, Petunia.' He doesn't seem to have a spine!"

"He sure seems to have a stomach though," Noelle said without thinking.

Laughter sputtered from between Lily's lips.

"I always though Petunia would marry someone like him"

"They're a match made in heaven, all right," James said, slinging his arm around Lily's shoulders.

The taxi pulled up in front of the hotel and Lily leaned forward to pay the driver. As the rest of them piled out, James took them aside.

"Look, I'm taking Lily on a short holiday for the rest of the weekend. She needs it, and I've already spoken to Dumbledore. Can you manage to get back on your own?"

Sirius laughed and shook his hair back from his head.

"I'm sure we can manage it Prongs."

Arriving back at Hogwarts, Noelle threw her bag into the back of her wardrobe and collapsed on her bed. She immediately jumped up and tugged her funeral dress out of the bottom of her valise. It was a silk Chanel dress, and it was already horribly creased. Shaking her head, she pulled her wand out and steamed the wrinkled out of the delicate fabric. A knock at her door caused her to whip around in surprise.

It's only me," Sirius said. "Are you busy for dinner tonight?"

"Yes, actually. I'm jetting off to Paris to have dinner at Maxim's," she teased. "Of course I am free."

"Good. Dress nice, I'm taking you to London."

"London?" Noelle asked. "Where?"

Sirius leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"Don't you worry about that, you nosy girl. Just get dressed!"

Noelle watched him leave, wondering what he was so chipper about.

They Apparated hand in hand to a part of London that Sirius called the Strand. Walking quickly around the corner, Noelle recognized the name on the grand hotel before her.

"The Savoy? We're eating here? Maman always wanted to come here, but we never had enough time," she said wistfully.

"It's fantastic. One of the best restaurants in London."

They glided through the double doors and Sirius smoothly led her into the dining room.

"Reservation for two, under the name Black," he said in the voice that Noelle called his 'family voice'.

"Right this way, Mr. Black."

He allowed Noelle to pass in front of him and the mâitre'd pulled her chair out for her. She gracefully sat and placed her napkin on her lap.

"What should I have?" she asked as she perused the menu.

"The steak is amazing," Sirius said, his eyes darting back and forth.

"What are you so nervous about?" she asked.

"Nothing. Steak sound good?"

She rolled her eyes and nodded.

Their salads came and Noelle picked at hers half-heartedly.

"Is everything alright?" Sirius asked her.

"Yes, of course. I'm just worried about Lily. She's not herself."

"Well, her parents just died, love. She won't be back to herself for quite sometime, if ever."

"I just hope she doesn't do anything foolish."

Their meals arrived and Noelle found that Sirius had been right. The steak was delicious. She ate more of it then she ever believed she could hold and then leaned back and pressed her hands over her stomach. The violet silk wrap dress she had worn felt dangerously tight.

"I am so full. I don't think I can move," she said.

"You don't have to move. Just relax," Sirius said with a wink.

Their waiter carried over a large bottle of champagne.

"Perrier Jouet. Just as you requested," he said as he twisted the metal ring that held the cork in. He poured a small amount into Sirius' glass, and then waited for him to taste it.

"Delicious. Thank you," he said, his voice shaking slightly.

The waited poured more into his glass, filled Noelle's and discreetly backed away.

"Champagne? What's the special occasion?" Noelle asked.

Sirius took a deep breath and slid off his chair. He knelt on one knee in front of her and took her hands in his. Her navy eyes widened as she realized what he was about to do.

"Noelle, we've been through so much together, both good and bad. I know, sometimes it may seem as if we are ready to kill each other, but I can't bear it when we're apart. I don't deserve you, and probably never will. I don't know where this life will take me, but I do know that I can't live it without you at my side." He snapped open the tan velvet box that held the ring he had bought months ago. "Please Noelle. Will you be my wife?"

Tears were pouring unrestrained down her cheeks and down his as well. She took his head in her hands and pressed her lips to his forehead. Not caring that the entire restaurant was staring she grinned widely.

"You're right about not deserving me," she said with a wink. "Yes. Yes, Sirius, yes! I will be your wife."

He gently pulled the ring out of the box and slid it on her left ring finger. The large diamond glinted with promise in the dim room. She gaped at it, and then threw her arms around her fiancé.

The room exploded with applause and they both looked up in surprise.

"I forgot there were people here," Sirius said out loud.

The room laughed and a tall, well-dressed gentleman that seemed eerily familiar stood and raised his glass.

"To the happy couple," he said, his dark eyes glinting red in the candlelight.

The other diners raised their glasses and followed suit. Noelle smiled uneasily at the man, who seemed to be studying both of them. She sat and stared down at her hands. Her new ring was sparkling and she smiled happily, pushing the thought of the stranger out of her head.

Sirius signed for the bill and rose from his seat. Noelle stood as well and followed him from the room, thanking the people who offered them good luck and best wishes.

Out on the sidewalk, Sirius wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply.

"Are you happy, love?"

She kissed him back passionately and gazed into his grey eyes.

"Happier than I've ever been in my entire life," she answered, meaning it with her whole heart.

"Good. I've another surprise for you," he said, tightening his grip on her and Apparating away.

From the shadows of the Savoy Hotel, the dark man who had offered his congratulations watched as they disappeared, his pale face eager with anticipation.

They arrived in front of what Noelle recognized as their new flat.

"What are we doing here?" she asked.

"Come inside and I'll show you," he replied with a smile. "Close your eyes."

She followed him into the building and up to the third floor. He flicked his wand at the doorknob and the door swung open. Stepping aside to let Noelle pass, he closed the door behind them.

"Okay. Open them."

She opened her eyes and gasped in surprise. The flat was furnished and decorated completely. She turned to him with an astonished look on her face.

"You've been busy." He smiled and watched her move around the apartment.

The living room was painted a pale sea blue, with beige sofas and pale wood furniture. There was a pale blue area rug covering the wooden floor, and the windows were hung with sheer blue and white drapes. She hurried down the corridor to the bedroom. It had been painted a bright sunny yellow, with a navy blue rug on the floor. The bed was large and had blue and yellow bed coverings. She ran her hand over the white wood of the dressers and sat on the bench of her vanity table.

"This is unbelievable!" she said.

"Come see the balcony, and the bathroom," he said, delighted that she was so happy.

She hurried to the bathroom, and thought she had died and gone to heaven. A large soaking tub took up one wall, with a shower stall big enough for four people next to it. The tiles were all soft green and white, and the cabinets were stocked with the most luxurious white towels that she had ever felt.

"It looks like a spa!" she exclaimed.

"That was the whole idea. I know how much you love your baths."

With one last look at the bathroom, she rushed out to see the balcony. He had truly outdone himself there. There were brightly colored tapestries hung to give them privacy, with large pillows scattered for them to recline on. There was a large copper fire pit in the center of the balcony, perfect for warming up on chilly nights.

"What about the Muggles? Won't they be suspicious?" she asked.

"When they look up here, all they will see is a crumbling old deck, with laundry drying on it."

Laughing at his creativity, she flung herself into his arms.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," she said, punctuating each sentence with a kiss. She pulled at the jacket he wore and tossed it onto the deck.

"Don't you want to see the kitchen?" he asked.

"Like I'm ever going to spend time in there," she joked as she kissed his neck.

They lowered themselves onto the padded floor and continued to pull each others clothes off. They were half naked and in a world of their own when Noelle heard the first bang. She sat straight up.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" Sirius asked, tugging her back to the soft pillows.

"That banging noise. There. There it is again!"

The sky filled with a bright green light, and instantly Noelle's head began to pound.

"Oh no," she cried as she started to slip into a vision. Fighting it with everything she had, she managed to stay in the present.

"Something's wrong Sirius. I don't know what, or where, but there is something wrong," she said as she tugged her clothes back on.

Instantly Sirius was on his feet. He flung his wand hand out and a silvery mist shot out into the dark night. He dressed quickly and took her face in his hands.

"I want you to go back to Hogwarts, straightaway. Apparate to Hogsmeade, then get back to the castle as quickly as you can!"

The tone in his voice left no room for discussion. She shook her head and he shook her body roughly.

"I mean it Noelle! You're not safe here right now!"

She nodded and turned to Apparate. She stopped, ran back to him for one last kiss and clutched him tightly.

"Be careful, alright?"

He nodded, his attention already on the task at hand. The green light was far on the horizon, and he needed to get to it as quickly as he could. Hopefully, the others had gotten his message.

By the time Noelle was running up the stairs to Gryffindor tower, Sirius was locked in a dual with one of Tom's followers. James appeared at his side and flung a jinx at his best friend's opponent.

"Bout time you showed up, Prongs," Sirius said, shaking his dark hair out of his eyes.

"I was preoccupied, thank you very much," James said as he tossed another curse at another enemy.

"They're calling themselves 'Death Eaters'. Creepy, in' nit?" Sirius stated as he pressed his back against James'.

"Very," James said, throwing another jinx into the dark night.

Sirius caught movement out of the corner of his eye and pushed James down, taking the full force of the curse in the chest. His body felt like it was being torn apart, and he screamed in agony. Finally, the curse was lifted and he collapsed on the ground.

"They're retreating," James said quietly as he checked over Sirius for any outside damage.

"Good. Did we lose anyone?"

The focused expression on James' face made it obvious that they had.

"Who?"

"One of the McKinnon brothers, and one of the Taylors. We don't know about any Muggle casualties yet."

"Muggle casualties?" Sirius asked in surprise.

"This is a Muggle area. Didn't you look?"

Sirius looked now. Indeed, they were in a field next to a densely populated neighborhood. A large skull with a snake coming from the mouth glowed a sickly green over the field.

"I'm fine Prongs," Sirius said irritably, pushing his friend away.

He got to his feet and brushed the dirt off of his pants. Aurors were making their rounds, Obliviating the memories of the Muggles that had witnessed the attack.

"How's Lily?" Sirius asked, changing the subject completely.

"She's much better," James said as he tried to get his wild hair back in order. "How's Noelle?"

Sirius grinned.

"You mean my fiancée?"

"You asked her? And she said yes?" James said, the happiness apparent in his voice.

"Of course she said yes," Sirius replied, looking highly offended.

James smiled and wiped sweat off of his brow.

"Well, congrats mate," He said, looking years older than seventeen. "Should we go and join the others?"

Sirius nodded and they headed to the spot where Dumbledore was waiting.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, Mr. Black. Although I must say I'm surprised that you are here, considering you both asked for weekend passes, but I am very glad that you were."

The boys nodded and kept their heads down. Their first battle with Tom's followers, these Death Eaters, had taken more out of them than they realized it would.

"So Mr. Black. Did she say yes?" Professor Dumbledore asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Sirius' head came up so fast it nearly snapped off.

"How did you know?"

"I've been doing this a long time, my son. You get to know your students. Plus, it was written all over your face for weeks."

Sirius blushed and ducked his head.

"Yeah. She did. Say yes, I mean."

"Ah, splendid! We'll need some happiness and joy in the not so distant future. I fear that this can only get worse."

With that, all three of them stared over the field. Smoke from cast spells was still lingering on the still, muggy air. For the two boys, whose eyes had aged far beyond their years in the past few months, there was no longer the excitement that had attracted them to the Order of the Phoenix earlier. It truly was life or death, and that fact had crashed into them just as hard as the Death Eaters' spells. For one old Professor, it was an all too familiar scenario. He just hoped that they would have the courage and power to withstand.


	34. Chapter 34

Noelle perched on the arm of the sofa, chewing on her nails anxiously. Lily paced the common room, every so often glancing at the portrait hole.

"Are you sure you don't know where they went? Lily asked her again.

"For the fifth time Lily. No."

Noelle reached up to her hair and gave it a nervous tug. The new diamond on her finger caught the light. Lily gasped and grabbed her friend's hand.

"So he finally did it?" she asked happily.

Noelle nodded and smiled.

"Well, it's about time. He's been carrying it around with him forever. Congratulations, Noelle!"

Noelle accepted Lily's hug and studied the ring herself.

"You should see what he's done with our flat. He decorated it. _Decorated it, _Lily."

"I never thought I'd see the day where Sirius Black went all domestic on us," Lily said in disbelief.

There was a noise from the portrait hole, and the boys finally climbed through.

Lily flew over to James and wrapped him in a hug, whispering frantically into his ear. Noelle slid off of the sofa and hurried to Sirius' side. He was green and unsteady on his feet. Noelle looked questioningly over at James.

"He was hit with a curse. The Cruciatus, I think," James said softly.

Noelle's navy eyes opened wider and she grabbed his face. His grey eyes were bloodshot and his face was pale.

"I'm okay, Noelle. Really, I'm fine," he said.

She checked him over thoroughly until she was satisfied that he truly was okay.

"How did it go?" she asked both of them.

"Well, they attacked a Muggle village. Two Muggles, and two members of the Order are dead. They play for blood, and they're not messing around. They're calling themselves Death Eaters, and they dress in long robes, with masks."

"Did you see him? Tom Riddle?" Lily asked.

"I don't think so. I think that this was quite under him. They must have known that we were all in London," James said.

Lily finally pulled away from him. The fury in her eyes was frightening to behold.

"Don't ever send me away from a fight again, James. I want my revenge, just as much as you do."

James' hazel eyes narrowed.

"I'm trying to keep you safe!"

"I've trained just as hard as you! Stop trying to protect me!"

"Excuse me if I don't want to see my fiancée killed! Lily, these people aren't playing around!"

"Oh, so now you're saying that I'm not strong enough to fight them? Get over yourself James!"

Sirius and Noelle watched unbelievingly as their two best friends fought.

"Enough!" Sirius bellowed. "James, she has a point. We can't protect her from this, and she has a right to fight."

"You shouldn't talk, Padfoot. Weren't you just telling me how glad you were that Noelle wasn't there?"

"That's different. Noelle is a liability."

Noelle turned on Sirius.

"A liability? Is that what I am?"

"Only because he knows you're a Seer, love."

"What does that have to do with it? Am I supposed to sit here, twiddling my thumbs and wait for the rest of you to come back?" she hissed. She glared at him and hoisted her shoulders. "I am just as talented and skilled as the rest of you. Lily's right. Don't you dare send us away again."

Lily nodded in satisfaction and took her place next to Noelle. They both folded their arms over their breasts and glared at their fiancés.

"I give up," James said weakly.

"I don't," Sirius declared. "Noelle, can you imagine what Riddle would do to you if he captures you? He'd break into your mind and see every single vision that you've ever had. He'd keep you chained up and locked in a dungeon. He would torture you every single day, just to get information on the Order."

Noelle swallowed thickly and stood her ground.

"It's a chance I'm willing to take."

"Well, it's not one that I am! I'm not going to lose you!"

He turned on his heel and rushed up the stairs that led to his dormitory. Speechless, Noelle watched him go, and then turned to James. He opened his mouth to speak, and then shut it again.

"He's not going to change his mind, Noelle."

"Well, he's going to have to. I'm not backing down. We're all in this together."

James shook his head slowly and his hazel eyes looked dead.

"It's nothing like we thought it was. It's terrible, and horrific and probably the worst thing you could ever imagine. I don't want either of you to come face to face with that."

He turned on his heel and followed Sirius up the stairs, leaving Noelle and Lily staring up at him.

Noelle and Lily went down to breakfast alone the next morning. The boys were nowhere to be seen in the common room, and neither one of them felt like going into the dormitory to find them. As they began to eat their breakfast, Sirius, James and Remus seated themselves at the table.

"I'm really sorry I couldn't be there last night. Being a werewolf is killing my social life," Remus joked.

"No worries, Remus. We were both sent away from the battle," Lily said innocently.

James gritted his teeth and kept eating his eggs.

"Hogsmeade today. Anyone interested?" Sirius said, trying to change the subject.

"No. I'm going to Paris to see my father," Noelle stated.

"Why?" Sirius asked in surprise.

Noelle held up her left hand and wiggled her fingers. The diamond threw prisms of light across the table.

"Don't you think I should tell my father I'm engaged?"

"You can tell him, but he won't be happy," Sirius grumbled.

"Oh, stop it Sirius. He's gotten much more lenient since Mother died. He'll be thrilled," Noelle lied.

"Yeah, sure. Cause a disowned, nameless rebel is exactly who he wanted his only daughter to marry," Sirius said teasingly.

His grin was infectious and Noelle laughed. She tossed her napkin at him.

"I don't care what he says, I just think he should know."

"You're the boss," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

Noelle dusted herself off in the courtyard of her home in Paris. There was a flurry of activity bustling around her, and she wasn't even noticed. She hurried into the side door of her home and turned left to go to her father's study. Just before she entered, she slid her engagement ring off of her finger and stuck it into her pocket. She knocked rapidly and pushed open the door. Her father was standing at his desk, dictating directions to a piece of parchment. He jumped when he saw his daughter in the doorway.

"Noelle! What are you doing here?" he asked as he tried to hide the papers on his desk.

"I figured I would come say hello. What's going on?" she asked.

"I was planning a graduation party," he said bashfully.

"Oh, Papa! You don't have to do that!"

"I know I don't, but it's not every day that your only child graduates from school. I figured that we need some cause for celebration."

"Celebration would be nice," Noelle said, her eyes dark.

"I heard about James' parents. I'm sorry," her father said.

"Lily's, too."

"No! But, aren't they Muggles?"

"Yes. Since we've joined the Order, her parents have been at risk."

Her father stood slowly.

"What Order?"

"The Order of the Phoenix. We've taken up the fight against Tom Riddle. He's the one, or his followers at least, that killed Lily and James' parents."

"Noelle, how could you be so foolish? Did you not think of how your involvement could affect my position?"

Noelle turned slightly pale and looked at her hands.

"Apparently not," he sighed.

"I'm ready for this, Papa. We've all been training, and we are prepared to do whatever we must to stop him?"

"At what price, Noelle?"

Noelle lifted her chin and stared at her father.

"Whatever price is necessary."

Her father sat heavily in his chair.

"You are of age, and I can't tell you what to do. But for God's sake, Noelle. This isn't a game!"

"Don't you think I know how serious this is? The Potters and the Evans are dead! So are Severus' parents! We're not playing around at this!"

"Black got you into this, didn't he? That lying little bastard, he promised me that he would keep you safe."

Noelle swallowed roughly and took her usual seat in front of her father's desk.

"It's funny you should say that," she said nervously. She slid her ring back on her finger. "I have something to tell you."

"Oh?"

Noelle steeled herself and removed her hand from her pocket.

"Sirius has asked me to marry him. And I've said yes."

Her father's eyes bulged from his head.

"You must be joking."

She held her left hand up and the large diamond caught the sunlight that was streaming in from the floor to ceiling windows. He stood, absolutely shocked at what his daughter had told him.

"You will not marry him."

"Oh, yes I will. I love him, and he loves me."

"Love. It's a foolish notion."

"You didn't love Maman? That's not true, I know you did."

"Oui, I loved your mother. But marriage is not about love. I chose your mother because she was a powerful witch, with extremely good bloodlines. I knew that our union would be a successful one."

"And Sirius and I will also have a successful marriage. Papa, he is an extremely talented wizard, and he too comes from a powerful family."

"His family is aligned with Dark wizards, Noelle. I will not have my daughter marry into that family."

"He's been disowned; blasted off of the family tree. He's not like them."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? He has no name, no family, he has nothing! What kind of life can he give you?"

Noelle rose from her seat, her head pounding.

"He can give me the life that I want. I will marry him, Papa, with your blessings or without."

Her father sighed and ran his hands through his dark hair.

"Have you told him that you cannot have children? How does he feel about that?"

Noelle paled and twisted her hands.

"No, I haven't. But I will."

"Will he still want to marry you then? What kind of wizard will be fine with having no offspring?"

Noelle went even paler and her body began to shake. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"So I take it that you are not giving your blessing. I won't bother to send an invitation."

She turned on her heel and walked to the door.

"You needn't bother with the party. I won't even show up," Noelle seethed. "But do let me know if you change your mind."

At the door, with a final glare at her father, she exited the study, leaving her father sputtering behind her.

Noelle stormed through the streets of the 8th arrondissement, not noticing the strange looks she was getting due to her school robes. Her head spun and she had no idea where to go. _Nicky, _she thought. _I'll go to Nicky._ Ducking into an alleyway, she Apparted to Berlin.

Nicky's foreboding home loomed in front of her. She climbed the massive marble stairs and knocked on the thick oak door. A tall dark man answered and glared at her.

"I'm looking for Madame Bauer. Is she home?" Noelle asked.

"Who are you?" he asked in thickly accented English.

"I am Noelle Lemieux, her friend."

"Wait here," he grumbled, slamming the door in her face.

Within minutes, the door was flung open and her best friend stood in front of her. In a flurry of bright crimson robes, Nicky threw herself at Noelle and hugged her tightly.

"What are you doing here? Oh, it's so good to see you!"

Noelle laughed and returned the hug.

"I was in Paris, and thought I would come say hi. You look wonderful!"

Nicky beamed and took her by the arm.

"Let's go to the garden, and we can talk," she said, throwing a glare over her shoulder at the butler who was staring at them.

Once they were on the grounds, Nicky sighed in exasperation.

"I really hate that man, but Freidrich won't hear any of it. He's been with the family since before Freidrich was born."

"Oh, I think he's quite charming," Noelle said teasingly.

"So, what's new?"

"Nothing much, except I am the future Mrs. Sirius Black," Noelle said, flashing her left hand at Nicky.

"He finally asked you! Oh, thank God, he was driving Remus nuts!"

"Did everyone know except me?" Noelle asked in jest.

The two old friends walled companionably through the beautiful garden.

"Have you told your father yet?" Nicky inquired.

"Oui, that's where I just came from. He was not happy, and refuses to give his blessing."

"Are you really surprised about that, Noelle?" Nicky asked with her eyebrows raised.

"No," Noelle admitted.

"So what will you do?"

"I will marry Sirius, and my father will have nothing to do with us. I love Sirius, and I can't live without him."

"Good girl," Nicky said approvingly.

"How is Freidrich?" Noelle asked.

"About the same as always. He wants to have a baby," she said in a low voice.

Noelle's blonde eyebrows shot up.

"And how do you feel about that?"

"I'm certainly not ready, but I can't very well tell him why." She paused and wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"I miss Remus. I miss our talks. But, you were right. I actually get along with Freidrich now."

Nicky stopped suddenly and smacked her hand to her forehead.

"Oh! Did you hear? Antoine was married last weekend."

"What? Our friend Antoine? Olivier's brother Antoine?"

'Oui, the very same. Apparently, Lisette is pregnant, and it was all very hush-hush."

"Pregnant? But she's barely sixteen!"

"Easier to explain away a young marriage than an illegitimate baby."

"Oh, Lord. How was the wedding?"

"Very small, but beautiful just the same."

"Did you see Olivier?" Noelle asked in a small voice.

"Of course. He was Antoine's best man."

Noelle hesitated before she asked.

"How does he look?"

Nicky glanced at her sideways.

"Honestly? He looks awful. He's lost a lot of weight, and he's got no color in his cheeks."

Noelle looked at the ground.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Noelle, it's not your fault. You two grew apart. He'll get over it."

"I know. But I don't want him to be miserable."

Noelle nodded and dabbed at the tears that had gathered at the corners of her eyes. Quickly, Nicky changed the subject.

"Did I tell you who Dietrich is dating?"

Noelle shook her head.

"Bridgette."

"You're joking."

'I wish I was. You're not the one who has to put up with her at family dinners now."

Noelle laughed.

"She's ghastly. How does anyone put up with her?"

"No idea," Nicky agreed.

Noelle looked at her watch and groaned.

"I have to head back," she said regretfully.

She hugged Nicky tightly and turned the corner to Apparate.

"I'll say hi to Remus for you," Noelle stage whispered with a wink.

With Nicky's embarrassed laughter echoing in her ears, Noelle turned and disappeared.


	35. Chapter 35

Hogsmeade was slowly becoming deserted. It was later than she thought. There were only a handful of students in the streets now, most making their way back to the school. Noelle didn't feel like going back right away, so she pushed open the door to the Three Broomsticks. Glancing around as she tugged her cloak off of her shoulders, she didn't see any of her friends. She hung her cloak on a hook and pushed her way to the bar. Sighing heavily, she ordered herself a firewhisky. Downing the shot quickly, she turned to survey the bar.

There were only a few students in the room. All were wearing Slytherin colors, and they were seated at a long low table along the far wall. Seated with them were a few older wizards and witches. Noelle's eyes narrowed when she saw Regulus Black, seated so he was facing the room. His grey eyes widened and he slowly stood to make his way over to her. She turned away from him as he started walking towards her.

"Hello, Noelle," he said smoothly.

"Oh, Regulus. I didn't see you here," she lied.

His dark eyebrows rose.

'Oh, fine. I saw you, and didn't feel like saying hello," she said exasperatedly.

Her hand went unconsciously to her hair and she gave the long strands a tug.

"Is that a diamond? An engagement ring? So it is true," Regulus said, a tinge of sadness evident in his voice.

"Oui, it is. Like you really care," she said.

"Of course I care. You'll be my sister now, and we have to play nice," he said lightly.

Noelle looked at him disbelievingly and saw a small smile playing around his lips. He was teasing her. She relaxed slightly and smiled back.

"So what are you doing here? A meeting of the Future Death Eaters Club?"

The blood rushed from his face so quickly she thought he would pass out. Realization dawned on her.

"Oh, mon Dieu…it is, isn't it?" Noelle groaned.

"It's just an informative session."

"It's them trying to brainwash you," she seethed.

His face went expressionless and she stepped back slowly. Someone was approaching them.

"Regulus, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

The man's voice was low and smooth, almost lyrical. He was tall, taller even that Sirius, which made Noelle feel even tinier than she was. He towered nearly a foot over her, crowding her personal space. Feeling claustrophobic, Noelle took another step back, only to feel the resistance of Regulus' hand on her back. He wasn't letting her retreat. His skin was porcelain and his dark brown eyes were nearly maroon. He was devastatingly handsome and Noelle's breath caught in her throat.

"This girl needs no introduction, however. You are Noelle Lemieux," he said softly.

She nodded slowly.

"Ah. We meet at last. I am Tom Riddle."

Noelle's heart dropped to her feet and then rose again in the same moment. It pounded and throbbed in her chest and she found herself speechless.

"I can see by your reaction that I, too, need no introduction. You know of me?" he asked, casually pushing his shock of black hair off of his forehead.

Slowly, Noelle nodded.

"Oui, I have heard of you," she managed to say through clenched teeth. She could feel Regulus' fingers digging into her wrist

"I can tell by your reaction, your expression…your scent…that you have heard only the worst of me. Regulus, please enlighten this enchanting girl," he said. "Miss Lemieux, it has been an absolute pleasure."

He smiled seductively and in spite of herself, Noelle found herself returning his flirtations with a smile. He winked, almost imperceptibly at her and headed back to the table.

"Noelle!" Regulus hissed into her ear. "Are you out of your effing mind? How does he know who you are?"

Noelle tore her attention away from Tom Riddle's retreating back and focused on Regulus.

"Severus. Severus sold me to Voldemort. He told him that I was a Seer," she whispered angrily.

"You're a Seer?"

_Dammit_, she thought.

"Yes, I am a Seer. And Severus knew, too. He betrayed my confidence and the last remnants of our friendship and told him."

"Noelle, listen. That was a big mistake, allowing him into your head like that. He knows your weaknesses now."

"He knows nothing," Noelle scoffed.

"He knows you think he's handsome and charming," Regulus said stiffly. "He'll use that against you."

Noelle flung her hair over her shoulder and glared at him.

"I think nothing of the sort. That man murdered Lily's and James' parents."

"I _saw_ the way you looked at him. Be careful, Noelle. He'll get you under his spell, too."

"I can take care of myself," she said loftily. "Good night, Regulus. It was nice to see you."

She left him with a smile and grabbed her cloak off of the hook. As she was swinging it over her shoulders, someone took it from her hands. She turned slowly and her jaw dropped.

"Allow me," Tom Riddle said with a glint in his reddish eyes. He arranged it carefully over her shoulders and fastened the silver clasp. "There we are."

"Thank you, Mr. Riddle," Noelle said formally, struggling to keep her mind closed.

"Would you mind if I escorted you back to the gates of the school?" he asked.

Noelle mind raced, but he was far too quick for her. He took her by the elbow and led her out of the bar and into the streets. He tucked her left hand into the crook of his elbow and headed up the street to the main gate of Hogwarts. He was silent for the first few minutes, and then spoke abruptly.

"You are frightened of me, are you not?"

Noelle shook her head slowly.

"No, I'm not," she said unconvincingly.

"You should be. I am a very dangerous man," he said casually.

Noelle swallowed and raised her chin.

"I am not afraid."

He glanced down at her and smiled.

"Good," he said softly. "So let me see. What do I know about you? Noelle Lemieux, age seventeen, nearly eighteen, born in Cannes, France in 1958. Attended Beauxbatons Academy of Magic for four years before transferring to Hogwarts in the beginning of your fifth year. Sorted into Gryffindor House. Engaged to Sirius Black, brother of Regulus, also age seventeen, born in London, England in 1958 as well. Father is Francois Lemieux, French Ambassador of Magic to the International Confederation of Wizards, mother was Catherine, of the St. Martin family, deceased. Am I correct?"

Noelle nodded, scared into silence.

"Your father cannot be happy about your very recent engagement, can he?"

Noelle shook her head again and stared at her feet as they walked. Suddenly her head came up.

"You were there," she said accusingly. "You were at the Savoy the night Sirius proposed to me. I saw you. You congratulated us!"

"Yes, of course I was there. I've taken quite the interest in you," he said, stopping in his tracks.

Nervously, Noelle stopped too. She kept her gaze focused on the buildings that lined the street. He took her chin gently in his hand and turned her face so she was looking at him.

"You are excruciatingly lovely, Noelle. It's almost painful to look at you," he said as he studied her features. "And our mutual friend, Severus, tells me that you have quite the gift. Am I correct?"

Noelle stood her ground.

"Non. He lied. I have no gift."

Tom Riddle bowed his head. Then, so fast that she didn't even see it coming, his lips were on hers. Her knees buckled and he caught her robes as she sank. Her mind became amazingly blank and calm. The feel of his lips on hers warmed her entire body to the point of losing control. Just as her arms were stealing up around his neck, he pulled away.

"I don't think that Severus was the one who was lying. But I do think that you enjoyed our kiss very much."

Noelle, coming back to her senses, shook her head rapidly.

"Lies, Noelle. Don't bother with them. I can tell when you're lying, little girl. Besides my talents, I also have many years experience on you."

Noelle looked up at him. Very slowly and deliberately, she wiped her hand across her mouth.

He chuckled softly.

"In the future, Miss Lemieux, I think that you might want to reconsider the repercussions of your actions. Good night."

With a start, Noelle turned and realized that they had arrived at the gate to the school. Spinning back to face Tom, she saw that he had disappeared.

As the month of April ended, Noelle still hadn't told anyone about her run-in with Tom Riddle. She was silent at the meeting of the Order, and during her training sessions, she threw all her energy into learning the dueling techniques that would have to become second nature if she ever expected to win a battle. Thankfully, Sirius and James were also wrapped up in the training process and didn't take very much notice.

"Two more weeks, and we're free!" Lily said at dinner one night.

"Finally. I've had just about enough education to last me forever," Sirius grumbled as he shoved potatoes into his mouth.

"What does Hogwarts usually do for graduation?" Noelle asked.

Lily grinned.

"There's a ball. We dance and celebrate, and most of the seventh years end up passed out drunk in their common rooms. It's after the ceremony and we leave for home the next day. I've been looking forward to it for years."

Noelle took a sip of her drink.

"We need dresses, Lily," she said with a grin.

That weekend, dressed in Muggle clothes, Lily and Noelle apparated to Paris. Checking her favorite Hermes Kelly bag for both wizarding galleons and French francs, Noelle led Lily to the Rue Cambon.

"Where are we going?" Lily asked as she tried to keep pace with the petite French girl.

"Every girl deserves to wear this designer at least once in her life," Noelle stated as she waved her hand at the elaborate storefront.

Lily looked baffled.

"Chanel," Noelle clarified as she pushed open the heavy door.

"Mademoiselle Lemieux! Quelle grande surprise!"

An elegantly dressed Frenchwoman hurried to the front of the store and embraced Noelle lightly. She deposited two kisses to each of Noelle's cheeks and held her at arms length.

"How have you been, my dear?"

"I've been very well, Odette. May I present my best friend, Lily Evans?"

"Enchantee, Lily," Odette replied, hugging and kissing Lily as well.

"Noelle! Is that an engagement ring I see?" Odette cried.

Noelle beamed happily and held out her left hand.

"Have you and Olivier set a date?"

Noelle blanched slightly, but recovered quickly.

"Actually, his name is Sirius. I attend school with him in Scotland. And we haven't set a date yet."

"Well, I hope that you will be commissioning a dress from us for the wedding!"

"Of course!" Noelle laughed. "But first, Lily and I both need gowns for graduation."

Odette's brown eyes narrowed as she circled the girls. Snapping her fingers, a tall young man came scurrying over with a sketchpad in hand.

"For Lily…celadon…long, flowy…think Grecian…high waisted, thin straps…do you have all that, Yves?"

The young man nodded, his hand flying across the page.

"And Noelle…I'm thinking Persian blue…iridescent…halter neckline, fitted, corset bodice…long, paneled skirt. Oui, that's perfect."

Noelle smiled and nodded.

"That sounds wonderful. How soon?"

"Go to lunch. They will be ready when you return," Odette said, squeezing Noelle's hand.

The girls strolled along the Champs-Elysees, looking for the perfect café to have lunch in.

"All this time, I had no idea that Coco Chanel was a witch!" Lily said disbelievingly.

Noelle laughed.

"Most of the more famous designers are," she said as she held the door of a café for Lily.

They sat on the patio, enjoying the early May sunshine beating down on them. Tourists, eager to have their own springtime in Paris, hurried by them, chattering in their native languages.

"I've never been to Paris," Lily observed.

Noelle sat straighter in her seat.

"Are you serious? I didn't know that! Let's go sightsee!"

She jumped up from her chair and threw a handful of francs on the table to pay for their hurriedly eaten meal.

Noelle paid for their passage on the Metro and waited impatiently for the train to arrive at Trocodero station. This way, she could lead Lily through the beautiful landscaping of the Jardin du Trocadero and the bridge over the Seine. As they rushed off of the train and hurried up the stairs to the street level, Lily gasped audibly. Rising over 300 metres from the ground, the Eiffel Tower soared into the perfect blue sky. Out of the corner of her eye, Noelle saw Lily's astonishment, and felt a surge of patriotism for her country that she hadn't felt in a very long time.

"Allez! We'll go to the top!" Noelle cried out as she ran through the gardens.

At the line for the lift, Noelle produced a small plastic card. The two girls were waved through the gate, bypassing the lines and boarded the elevator.

"What was that?" Lily whispered.

"My father is a government official. As a member of the family, I have special privileges that include not waiting in line, not paying any fees and getting to see things that regular citizens and tourists wouldn't be able to see."

"Such as?" Lily asked with her eyebrows raised.

Noelle leaned forward with a wicked smile.

"Want to try on Marie-Antoinette's jewelry?"

At the summit of the tower, Lily turned in slow circles, not believing that she was actually at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Noelle produced a camera from her bag, and asked a tourist to take a photo of them. After taking pictures from every side of the tower, Noelle led Lily down to the base of the tower again. They hopped into a taxi and Noelle directed the driver to take them to the Louvre.

"The French monarchs, they didn't care about the use of jewels as much as your monarchs do. There weren't many crown jewels of France. In fact, after the Revolution, many of the jewels were lost," Noelle told Lily as their private tour guide led them through the halls of the museum. "But, there are a few."

Both girls' eyes widened when the guide motioned for the guard to open the case. He selected a tiara covered with diamonds and emeralds, and placed it lightly on Lily's dark red hair.

"It's so heavy!" she said, keeping extremely still.

The guide laughed and placed two bracelets, laden with rubies on Noelle's wrists.

"These were my favorites when I was a girl," Noelle said. Her accent was so much thicker now that she was in France.

Reluctantly, the girls handed the jewels back to the guide and thanked him for his assistance. Noelle led Lily down a long parquet floor so that she could see the Mona Lisa, and then checked her watch.

"Lily! We need to go pick up our dresses and get back to Hogwarts!"

They hurried down the corridors and jumped on the Metro, whose station was conveniently located in the basement of the Louvre. Odette had both dresses ready and ordered their street clothes off as soon as they walked into the shop. With a few flicks of a wand cleverly disguised as a pen, the fittings were complete.

"To your school, Noelle?" Odette asked.

"Oui, that would be great!" Noelle sighed. "We really must be going."

Both girls kissed Odette on the cheeks and stepped into the back alley to apparate back to Hogsmeade. They joined with the students already making their way back to the castle.

"I'm sorry we didn't get to see more. I promise, I'll take you back soon, and we can see everything!" Noelle swore.

Tired, but still excited from their day, they mounted the stairs to their common room. Sirius and James were both stretched out on the couches.

"Let me see your new dress!" Sirius demanded as she kissed him on the cheek.

"I don't even know if it's here yet, and besides, I want to be a surprise!"

"Lily's bringing James up to see hers," Sirius pouted.

"Oh, fine. Come on," she said, taking his hand.

The dresses were hanging in each girl's wardrobe, encased in black garment bags with the Chanel logo. Noelle removed the dress from the bag and hung in on the wardrobe door so Sirius could look at it. She sat on her bed and watched him with a smile on her face.

"It's beautiful and you're going to look like an angel in it," he said, coming over to kiss her. She scooted back on the bed so he could sit with her and her hand hit a large box that had been placed at the very center. Curiously, she looked at Sirius. He shook his head. Shrugging, she opened the box.

Nestled on the black velvet were the two ruby encrusted bracelets that she had tried on at the Louvre earlier that day. Gasping, Noelle dropped them on the bed. Tucked inside the box was a hand-written note:

_Miss Lemieux,_

_I couldn't help but notice how lovely these looked on those delicate wrists today. Enjoy them._

_T.M.R._


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

The N.E.W.T examinations were finally over, and every seventh year could relax at last.

Graduation was just two days away, and Noelle was infinitely sure that she was not ready to be released into the real world. She wanted to be safe at Hogwarts, or even back at her home in France, but she did not want to jump into the risk that she knew awaited her. Everyone else, on the contrary, was quite ready to be set free.

James and Sirius had been offered, and had accepted, entry-level jobs in the Ministry's Department of Defense. Lily was to be working in the Department of Experimental Charms, while Remus would be in the Department of Magical Creatures. Peter would be returning to Gloucestershire to assist with his family's apothecary. Everyone was taking the next big step in his or her lives, and Noelle was going back to school.

She had been accepted at Oxford for their International Relations program, and part of her was really looking forward to starting in the fall. On the other hand, she had no scholastic experience with Muggles. She was deeply unsure of how to behave and act in her future classmates presence.

The night before graduation and the ball, Noelle and Lily were both in their room packing the remainder of their belongings. Most had already been sent ahead to their respective flats, and all that remained were a few items of Muggle clothing, some toiletries and their graduation gowns. The boys, having thrown all of their possessions into their trunks haphazardly, were out on the grounds reliving their adventures. Noelle knew that Sirius was having a hard time saying goodbye to the only place that he'd ever considered to be his home, and he was wandering around with his two best friends, committing to memory every nook and cranny of the old castle.

Finished with her packing, Noelle took a seat at one of the vanity tables in her room. She watched Lily putter around the room with a small smile on her face. As if she knew she was being watched, Lily turned around. The sadness in her best friend's eyes tugged at her heart.

"What's wrong Noelle? You look so sad!" Lily asked, dropping the blouse she was holding.

"I'm not sad. I guess I'm just a little scared. I don't know if I'm ready to leave this place," Noelle said, gesturing with her arm.

"It's not a little scary. It's downright terrifying," Lily stated. "I mean, for seven years, I've lived here more than I've lived at my own house. But I don't have a home to return to anymore. Wherever James is, that's my home now. And he's not going to be here anymore."

"That's one way of looking at it. I remember when I first arrived at Beauxbatons. It's such an amazingly beautiful place, Lily. I wish you could see it. And it was home, too, I think, in a way. I met all my friends there, and could never have wished for anything more. When I arrived here, at Hogwarts, I never thought that I would be able to think of it in the same way. But then I met all of you, and you became my family, in ways that my other friends never could have. It was hard to say goodbye to them, but I think it will be nearly impossible to say goodbye to all of you."

"You'll never have to say goodbye to any of us Noelle. We're all still together, and even though you and I won't be sharing a room, I'm only an apparition away!"

Noelle wrinkled her nose in false distaste.

"I have to trade sharing a room with you for sharing a room with Sirius? No thanks, he's too messy."

Lily laughed.

"And instead of smelling your Chanel perfume all the time, I have to smell James' Quidditch gear. Disgusting!"

Noelle nodded seriously, pretending to be deep in thought.

"Maybe we should reconsider. Tell the boys that they have to live together," Noelle suggested.

"I don't think that will go over too well," Lily said.

"Probably not," Noelle agreed.

She threw her head back and thought.

"I have an idea. Let's go get pampered. I mean, after all, how many times do you graduate? We need the works, massages, manicures, pedicures, facials…what do you say?"

"I think that's a grand idea. But where do we go?" Lily asked.

"To London, of course."

The next day, first thing in the morning, Noelle went to McGonagall's office to ask permission. Surprisingly, the professor granted it.

"Just be back by three o'clock this afternoon. Miss Evans still has some work to do for the ceremony."

Once at the spa, the girls were both whisked into separate rooms to change into fluffy white bathrobes. They emerged and took their places on massage tables.

"This is absolute heaven," Lily managed to say as her masseuse kneaded the skin on her back.

Noelle could barely speak so she nodded in response. The tension slowly drained from her body and she felt herself sliding into sleep.

_Samantha was seated at a long table made of dark wood. She was silent and deathly pale. For the first time, Noelle saw fear on her face. Severus was on her right, and a gentleman that Noelle didn't recognize immediately was on her left. His pale blonde hair was nearly the length of Noelle's own. The man seated at the head of the table was one who very recently had become extremely familiar to her. Tom Riddle had changed drastically in the future. His eyes were still glowing red, his skin was even paler than before, and his nostrils had become slits. Gone was the handsome man that she had meet two weeks before. He spoke, and his voice was a hiss._

"_I'm so glad you've decided to come to senses, my dear girl. It's much easier when we don't have to use force."_

_Samantha's dark blue eyes clenched shut and a tear leaked out._

"_Oh, don't cry. It won't hurt very much."_

Noelle's own eyes flew open when she heard Riddle's maniacal laughter. The massage was nearly done and she kept her lips pressed together until it was. She silently followed Lily into another room to get her nails done, suddenly wanting to be back at Hogwarts.

Once back at the school, the two girls found everything in an uproar in their room. Clothing was everywhere, and girls were rushing in and out of the bathrooms in various states of undress. Slipping unnoticed through the masses, Noelle opened her wardrobe and removed her graduation robes. She pulled her street clothes off and slipped the robes over her head. Like everyone else's, they were black, but the Gryffindors had a mantle of scarlet and gold. The other houses were exactly the same, but with their own colors. She tugged her long blonde hair out of its braids and brushed the shimmering waves over her shoulders. She pinned it up loosely and studied herself in the mirror. She still looked tired, but with a stricken expression in her blue eyes.

_What could Riddle have been demanding of Samantha? Surely nothing good. Noelle had never seen that look of sheer terror on the girl's face, and it deeply unsettled her._

Lily appeared at her side.

"Ready to go downstairs?" she asked brightly.

Tilting her head at her reflection, Noelle shrugged, then nodded.

"I guess so."

"You guess so? Noelle, we're graduating! Be excited!"

Finally, Noelle turned to face her.

"I am excited. Really. But I'm still nervous."

Lily laughed and tugged on her hand, leading her out of the room.

The seventh-year students filed out of the entrance and onto the grounds, grouped by their houses. Families and friends gave a mighty cheer as they made their way onto the Quidditch pitch. Noelle snuck a look at James, who was standing on Sirius' other side. His face was ecstatic, and Noelle knew it was because he was graduating on the one piece of Hogwarts' grounds that meant the most to him. As they approached the seating, James and Lily climbed a smaller platform and sat next to Professor McGonagall. Noelle took her seat between Sirius and Remus and tried to pay attention. Almost immediately she fell into another vision.

_It was her wedding again, but for the first time she was not an invisible observer. She was the bride. Her white silk gown glistened in the bright Riviera sunshine and the diamonds that dotted her bodice sparkled. She looked down at her shaking hands and stared in confusion at her left ring finger. The ring on her finger was not the ring that Sirius had given her. It was far larger and more elaborate. She looked up sharply and saw her father striding towards her._

"_Well, Noelle? Are you over your latest tantrum?" he asked harshly._

_Before she could answer, she heard herself talking._

"_Father, must I really do this? Please, I'm begging you!"_

"_You have disgraced your family Noelle. No one knows of your indiscretion, and I intend to keep it that way! Roussard has agreed to marry you because he never stopped loving you, and you will do as I say!"_

"_But I don't love him! Let me go back to London. Let me go to Sirius!"_

"_Back to that wastrel? You think he loves you? Has he ever come to find you? No! You were merely a plaything to that boy, and nothing more. I don't ever want to hear his name spoken again!"_

_Noelle's mind reeled in shock at his words. She was to marry Olivier? And worst of all, for some reason she had left Sirius and he had never come after her! What could she have done that disgraced her family so much?_

She didn't have time to think on it, because Sirius was elbowing her sharply in the ribs.

"Your diploma?" he whispered.

Noelle jumped to her feet and hurried to Professor Dumbledore.

"Here you are, my dear. Congratulations!"

She smiled weakly and took her seat. Sirius gave her a strange look as he clapped for Remus.

"Are you alright? You looked half asleep! You missed both James' and Lily's speeches! And you missed me getting my diploma," he said, flipping it open to show her. "I'm amazed that it's not blank."

"Sorry. I had a vision," she said, her throat dry.

"Of?"

"It was nothing," she lied. "Nothing of any importance."

The last remaining diplomas were handed out and the seventh-years jumped to their feet. Pulling off the pointy black hats they all wore, they tossed them jubilantly into the air. By the time Noelle realized what was going on, it was too late. She tugged hers off, and let it fall to the ground.

She dragged her feet as she made her way back to the castle. Lily was chattering on, begging Noelle to help her with her hair for the ball. Noelle agreed and allowed herself to be pulled into the common room.

She took the long black garment bag from her wardrobe and removed her newest robes. Pulling the silky material over her head, her mood improved. Pretty clothes always had a way of making her feel better.

As she was adjusting the laces on the corset, she realized that the room had gone silent.

"Noelle, _where_ did you get that dress?" Alice Templeton asked with awe in her voice.

"Oh! Um, I got it in Paris," she mumbled.

"Is that a Chanel?" another girl asked with envy in her voice.

"Yes?" Noelle answered hesitatingly.

Suddenly they noticed Lily.

"Lily! Yours too?"

Lily, who hadn't been paying attention to the commotion around Noelle, finally turned to look.

"Yes. Noelle and I went to Paris a few weeks ago and got them. Aren't they amazing?" Lily gushed.

"Must be nice to be able to afford Chanel, eh Noelle?"

Noelle's back stiffened.

"Actually, Coco Chanel was a very close friend of my mother's before they both passed. The dresses were gifts," she spit out.

All the girls around them fell silent. Alice smiled.

"Noelle, you're so good with hair. Could you help me put mine up please?" she asked.

Noelle nodded, grateful for the excuse to leave the crowded bedroom.

Sirius paced at the foot of the Grand Staircase. Most of the seventh-year Gryffindor girls were already downstairs, but Lily and Noelle had not made their entrance yet. He glanced at his watch again, and grumbled. Just then, Remus nudged him sharply.

Making her way down the stairs gracefully was Noelle. Her dress was deep blue and plunged deeply to reveal her décolletage. Her blonde hair was loosely pinned up with curls hanging down her back. She looked incredible. He managed to regain his voice and strode over to her.

"Mademoiselle Lemieux, you are exquisite," he said softly as he bowed his head.

Noelle blushed and smiled. She dropped into a low curtsy.

"Monsieur Black, you are far too kind. And you, too, look fantastic," she said with a wink.

It was true, he did look amazing. His navy robes were the exact color of her eyes and his deeply tanned skin was gleaming. He smiled at her and his white teeth shone. He extended his arm and she took it. With loving smiles at each other, they entered the Great Hall.

Dinner was sumptuous and the alcohol flowed freely. Not only were the seventh years in attendance, but also any underclassmen who had been invited and the families of the newly graduated seventh years. Noelle felt herself getting tipsy before she had even finished dessert. As pudding was ending, Sirius noticed the band setting up.

"Are you ready to dance, love? Cause I have to warn you, I've been practicing!"

The five Gryffindors hit the dance floor. All of the liquor was definitely helping lower inhibitions, because Noelle was sure that she saw Professor McGonagall dancing with Dumbledore. And they definitely weren't waltzing.

The band played the first chords of 'Dancing Queen' and Noelle shrieked with glee as she grabbed Lily's hands. The best friends spun and sang along with the new song as the boys laughed. The music continued for what seemed like hours until finally a slow song began. Noelle wrapped her arms around Sirius' neck and nuzzled her nose into his face.

"I love you, you know," she said, her words slightly slurred.

"I love you too, drunk girl," he teased her.

"I am not drunk," she said, highly offended. "Okay, maybe a little."

Sirius laughed and tapped James on the shoulder.

"Is Lily drunk?" he asked.

"I think Lily is passed out," James said, gazing down at his fiancée. Her green eyes were closed and her breathing was slow and even. "Lils! Wake up!"

James waved Remus onto the dance floor and the five friends wrapped their arms over each other's shoulders. They swayed together, singing the words out loud, and clinging to their last moments of innocence.


End file.
